


Make Ash & Leave the Dust Behind

by LostnThoughtless



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is vibing with so many new friends, Abusive overuse of ellipses, Beta read by tequila, Canon Timeline has been shot without remorse, Chaos Avatar Zuko, Gaang meets Team ex-royalty, Is Iroh a good uncle it's unclear, Lu Ten is done with everything and would like a drink, M/M, Misogyny was also shot without remorse, Ozai almost killed Zuko but Vaatu said not today, Redemptions are a theme here, Spirit Shenanigans, The inherent eroticism of chaotic dumbassery, Vaatu versus humans trying to adopt his children, Yue is living in more ways than one, Zukos fun times with trauma and anxiety, canon child abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 73,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostnThoughtless/pseuds/LostnThoughtless
Summary: In the aftermath of the fateful Agni Kai as a young boy lay dying in an arena, Agni said yikes, Tui said what if, and Vaatu said RIP to Raava but I'm different.The meddling of some biased spirits causes a divergence of destiny, where in: Zuko says be gay do crime, Lu Ten just goes with it, Yue plans to dismantle misogyny, Katara says hell yeah, Sokka learns some things, Toph is living, Aang is just happy to be making friends, and the mutual mood is Fire Lord Ozai needs to die.Alternatively: a complete demolition and reckless disregard of the canon timeline where Vaatu thinks he has a great idea and instead becomes a hoarder of children who will somehow take over the world.Which is very chaotic of him, when you think about it.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 162
Kudos: 367





	1. Hello, Vaatu Here.

**Author's Note:**

> So after a few runs of chaos!avatar Zuko, I started vibing hard and there wasn't enough of it and my brain just went for it. The concept was definitely inspired by others, but I like to think I've gone off on my own bullshit for most of this. 
> 
> Credit where it is due: This is definitely inspired by musings of Muffinlance and of course AvocadoLove's Consider Chaos series. 
> 
> A few notes before we get started, because who doesn't love rambling nonsense that is probably pointless and no one will ever read :'D
> 
> 1\. I have cherry-picked canon and taken the rest and set it on fire in a dumpster over in a nearby alleyway. I also put said canon in whatever timeline I felt like. If something in canon isn't mentioned, assume it never happened. 
> 
> I've also taken a grandiose amount of liberties because I don't appreciate the amount of people and places that apparently just went nameless. 
> 
> 2\. There's a fair amount of cussing throughout this, because if you have trauma and are fighting in a war you get to cuss. I don't make the rules here. There will undoubtedly be death and injuries but I'll try and note that per chapter if it's remotely graphic. So, that's what any rating is for.
> 
> 3\. There's a fair amount of time jumping in the early chapters, because as snarky as a year of thirteen year old Zuko yelling at himself would be... there's only so many times I can type 'internally screaming' before I give up on life. As a treat, I just summed it up for y'all. 
> 
> 4\. OKAY so yes I have tagged this as zukka and I did kinda consider making this a series with part one inb4 groups merge and part two the literal chaos of everything being part two. I am, however, a simple person and having just one main story is easier for me.

The laughter of humans was an interesting concept.  
  
Often it came from a place of joy, amusement, or perhaps of fondness over an action or memory.  
  
Other times it was a shield used to protect the heart, or mind, from that which would otherwise cause destruction. As if it were easier to laugh about a tragedy than bear the burden of its sorrow.  
  
As the great sun spirit watched all-knowing from his place within the spirit world, it was painful to witness one of his favorite young humans’ writhe on a cold, unforgiving, stone floor; hysterically laughing, tears and blood rolling down his freshly blackened and mutilated face. The child's mind, unable to fathom the harsh reality of what had transpired, had chosen to retreat behind delusion.  
  
It was for the best, that he wasn't mentally present. The probability of the child surviving to see his next sunrise was slim. Assuming he did, the timeline he'd be forced upon would end tragically.  
  
If he could cry for the child, he would.  
  
The sorrow he felt was vast, despite his ability to show it.  
  
Agni had, once, held hope that this one would change the fate of the human world and end the pointless war that it apart. The kindness in his heart had promise, to be benevolent enough to question the conquest and tip the scales.  
  
Now, though. Even if the child survived, he'd been broken. It's hard to wish peace for all, when such atrocities are all you've been given.  
  
He found himself wishing he could bless the child, much like his own sister had done with one of her favorite humans. A gift of life, a mark of proven worth by a spirit. However, doing such a thing to a child of just thirteen human years would be a fate worse than death.  
  
Perhaps.... his form shifted; blinding embers radiating off a molten inferno of draconian shape as his options were considered. Perhaps there were another... no. No. That would be, treasonous.  
  
The boy stilled below, as doctors finally arrived to the arena; managing to pin the small body to the floor and administer medication meant for those wounded in battle.  
  
Perhaps, it was worth considering?  
  
The spirit withdrew within himself, his current landscape swirling into a sea of color with destination in mind. When his dark eyes opened, instead of his vision, he sat in front of a vast ocean watching as two koi the size of islands swam slow circles around each other.  
  
While his sisters’ eyes lacked pupils, her hard gaze was felt in his very core; judgment radiating within him for reasons she shouldn't know.  
  
"Brother, I heard you. Please tell me you were not considering such an atrocity."  
  
"And if I were?"  
  
"You would consider throwing both the human and spirit realm into darkness over the life of one human?"  
  
"Sister you haven't much room to speak of favoritism towards humans."  
  
"My blessing is destined to hurt only the child and myself. A child whom gained sixteen years of life through my actions. What you tempt will destroy the existence of all."  
  
"Will it, though?"  
  
The two ancient spirits, sun and moon, brother and sister, Agni and Tui, focused their all-consuming attention on one another. One appalled at the very notion, the other appalled that such an act should not even warrant consideration.  
  
"You are blinded by grief, my brother."  
  
"One does not need the gift of sight to see possibility."  
  
"And what possibly is it you see?"  
  
"One where a new being emerges from the pyre to right the wrongs that have raged unchecked for one hundred human years."  
  
"There is already a being tasked with this burden, or have you forgotten."  
  
"I have not, no, my memory is as vivid as the day Raava first bonded her spirit to human flesh. It seems that the human incarnation is the one guilty of forgetting their role and left its own realm to suffer for it."  
  
"You believe a new being, joined with the very essence of darkness, will somehow right this?"  
  
"Do you believe it could do worse?"  
  
The two fell back to silence. The koi circling one another, the blinding radiance watching them with earnest.  
  
"What would transpire, brother, if you were to bless as I have? Would it be so bad as to consider this alternative?"  
  
"I fear it greatly my beloved sister. A blessing of life would leave another mark for all to see, their nation would rally and seek retribution for the crimes against him. Their leaders would fall for their hubris and negligence, a traumatized child of thirteen would be forced to rule without the knowledge required. The one relation left with little fault would be stricken down for their absence, and the youth would be exploited by the elders who were intended to council. The human war would worsen and damage unimaginable."  
  
"And if he perishes?"  
  
"The same outcome. For a nation to blindly follow a mortal so willing to slaughter their own child will lose what humanity they have left, burning the world to ash. Tell me, are those fates worse than the one I consider? Who are we to protect, to guide with our spirits, if they are all gone."  
  
No answer was given, but the emotions of distress and fury slowly drained to contemplation. Tui found herself, considering how her own blessed child’s fate might change, should this transpire.  
  
Would the gentle child live far longer, far happier, than the sacrificial one she currently walks towards?  
  
Would she, could she, condemn her brother to inaction knowing this dying sun child is the catalyst to worsen the lives of her own humans? If she supported her brother now, in his initiatives, would her own be better for it? Was it selfish of her to be complacent, to rather see the entire human race suffer opposed to just her children?  
  
La offered no opinion. The ocean, though tied to her, had no children of their own and could not speak. Humans given to them were already lost, or living seeking hope of safe passage. The interim children of La were never bound by human alliances.  
  
The knowing silence was answer enough; the fish came to a stop, eyes closing. The landscape shifted as the unthinkable horror was offered guests for the first time in nearing ten thousand years.  
  
Agni found his body in a seemingly vast and empty land, desolate with exception of himself, a glistening full moon that consumed the sky above, and a tree.  
  
A tree, the tree, ancient and all seeing, all knowing; vast, towering, twisted with growth, and faintly glowing with red. Red, bloodred, fuel for both life and death, it was everything, it was angry, and it had been waiting for it’s chance to spill.  
  
The silence that loomed was deafening.  
  
What unspeakable horrors were they provoking, by even being here. A twinge of fear... regret, hesitancy, that's all it took to cause stir. To awaken the awareness that lurked in the shadows.  
  
"And to what, do I owe the pleasure of company." The voice amplified the feelings of fear and for a fleeting drop in time the moon fell dull. This voice that was soaked in a scornful tone, scraping through the heavy silence, and rattling all present to their core.  
  
"We.. I, have a proposition for you." Agni would take whatever blame came from this. It was his doing, his human. His humans to blame for the desolation inflected upon the human world, he would not allow his sister to cast doubt upon herself for his choice to rattle this cage.  
  
"Oh?" A pulse of red flashed from the indefinite depths of the ancient tree; the only sign suggested it’s captive was still bound within it. "How tantalizing, I quiver with anticipation."  
  
"Yes, I'm glad you feel keen to offer us your time."  
  
"Enlighten me, oh spirit of the sun. I have nothing but endless time."  
  
"A means of being unbound from this tree."  
  
"Really.” The voice was shrill; scraping with unseen claws against it’s prison. “I don't imagine Raava would be pleased to hear you say such things. You may be a respected spirit, but my sister knows not of mercy."  
  
"We know the spirit of Raava has been absent for one hundred human years, there is no doubt you feel it as well." The moon, Tui, shimmers as her voice echos through the air.  
  
"How could I not, she finally bound herself to imprisonment of her own design and I've relished watching her well-deserved stasis." The voice was pleased, more unsettling than had it been in a place of rage; relishing in fond pleasure in his sister’s misfortune. "What does her sleeping vessel have to do with my freedom?"  
  
"We speak not of freedom, Vaatu."  
  
"Then why speak at all?" Sharp, venomous words, deep and full of hate. Full of hurt; negative energy pulsating from its source, threatening to corrupt should purchase be made. "Why waste the breath of a great spirit?"  
  
"Apologizes, we were unaware you had better things to occupy your time." Agni spoke as sharply, not acknowledging the deep growling coming from the tree. He knew he was risking any chance by using provoking words. A delicate game, where he had more to lose than the spirit trapped before him, but either offense would be taken or camaraderie earned by boldness.  
  
Silence again fell for what felt like years, decades, millennia, though were just fleeting speaks of time before finally the spirit spoke again in a dull tone. "And what would my new prison entail, in these schemes you propose."  
  
"A vessel."  
  
"A.. vessel."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Like the fate Raava destined her own spirit to for all time."  
  
"The very same." Agni watched as pulsing bloodred lights trailed from one side of the tree, to the other several times; pacing, best he could, in such confinement. "Suiting, in a way. You two are bound to one another, it—"  
  
"I understand the implications Agni, I am ancient and do not need simple concepts explained to me." Cutting words with little bite. They knew it was being considered. "So I would be forced to coexist within a vessel of flesh, a... human avatar. For all eternity."  
  
"You would be Raava's equal in every way. To once again bring true balance."  
  
"Interesting, though, I'm curious as to why this is suddenly being offered to me as an option. Especially since Raava has no say in the matter." For the first time yet, Vaatu emerged to the small window of his eternal prison. To be seen, hunched over, glowing shades of reds that twist on his form, watching the two spirits from the safety of their freedom. "Let me guess motive, there's a vessel you're trying to save. One you're ill-suited to save yourself." Vaatu chuckled as tension overtook the sun spirits vague body; flowing inferno barely moving, his entire form flinching from the sting of truth. "Ah."  
  
Vaatu was nothing if not dramatic. He hadn't needed to strike chords, to fan the literal fires of a spirit lesser than himself, but he was bored. So, very bored. Trapped for so long, and despite knowing the reason he suddenly had company within moments of their arrival, the opportunity of toying with them was too amusing. When would the chance come again, should this fail?  
  
"I expect the vessel is your human, Agni, so why is your sister here?"  
  
"The human Avatars require training to master each of the four elements. This one is born of fire, my own will be blessed with water. You will instruct your vessel to seek her, take her, as his master of water." Tui somehow boomed, demanded, of the great spirit before her; in a way he was insulted, to be told what he would do, in another way he was impressed with her brazen demands.  
  
"Very well. Bring me the vessel's spirit, I wish to discuss this potential arrangement with it. See if it is worth this trouble."  
  
As quickly as they arrived, Vaatu once again found himself alone. He knew this time, though, it wouldn't be for long. Not long at all, as he had suspicion this was something that had urgency.  
  
He knew, this was his true escape. One that did not depend on chance or luck to grant him his just freedom.  
  
The hourglass of his imprisonment was starting to run dry, but a speck of sand compared to how long he'd been bound to this tree. If Raava did not awaken in time, to reinstate the binds during the convergence, then complete unchecked freedom would be his at last.  
  
However should something happen to pull her from her slumber, then his prison would renew for another ten thousand years. This offering from the oh-so great sun and moon spirits would not last until the convergence transpired.  
  
The gamble of waiting was not worth the risk.  
  
He'd rather be bound to exist within human flesh, than be trapped in this forsaken tree.  
  


✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
  
There was pleading. There was burning. Then came a swirling haze of consuming darkness, suffering, and incoherency of his mind.  
  
How long the struggle between life and death had been he didn't know, but Zuko assumed he'd succumbed to his end when the void of black was suddenly filled with a warm and welcoming light. Slowly, he opened his... eye, he'd attempted eyes though one seemed swollen shut.  
  
Great, even in death he was a marked disgrace.  
  
"Hello child."  
  
Before he could fully rationalize the voice, his face darted up to find... a dragon? But dragons, they were all…  
  
"What?" Talk first think second, boy he was dumb even in death. He was, right? "Um, am I dead?"  
  
"No, not quite my child." The warm, glowy dragon(???) seemed... amused?  
  
"Oh." The fire dragon seemed displeased with the remark. Zuko shifted uncomfortably; it wasn't that he wanted to die or anything! It, just. His fat— his father probably just killed him, his Mom was dead, his cousin was dead, his sister had watched his burning with the same distance stare she always wore when he was reprimanded, and uncle.... uncle. He was too ashamed of his weakness to even watch his punishment.  
  
Now the fire dragon was disappointed in him too. Great!  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you child." The voice was, pleasant to listen to, Zuko could appreciate being able to listen to it in his last moments; way better than listening to himself shriek in pain.  
  
"I shouldn't need protecting." Mumbling, ashamed of himself, his eye fell to his hands.  
  
"There is no shame in protection, it's something one does willingly for those they care about. I wish I could offer to save you myself, though I fear it would bring more unjust turmoil to your life."  
  
"Save me? Like a, um, spirit blessing?" Zuko scrunched his nose and snuck a wide eye glance up at the fire dragon. "Are you..." No way...  
  
"I am, child. You're quite clever." The dragon chuckled; sounding like wind-chimes jingling in a summer breeze. "I cannot intervene, as I said, but I know of a great spirit who may be able to."  
  
"Why?" Why would any spirit care about him? Even his own family didn't care about him. He was weak, pathetic, a failure…  
  
"I am not to say young one, but I assure you he will explain himself if you're willing to listen. " The dragon— Agni's head tilted, watching with interest.  
  
"Um, okay? I mean, yes. I'd... like to speak to him. Yes" Zuko wasn't sure why any spirit would care if he lived or died, but if he knew one thing from all of Uncles crazy spirit stories it was that spirits didn't make a whole lot of sense to begin with. Why they'd waste their time on him, well, he didn't know.  
  
Couldn't hurt to play along, better to spend his last moments with spirits then... then, whatever was happening elsewhere.  
  
Agni beamed down at the human child, saying nothing more, but hoping this... this wasn't a mistake he'd rue for the rest of eternity. Lurching forward, towering over the small boy, the spirit extended a clawed hand to lightly touch the child's shoulder as the landscape started shifting.  
  
Agni stayed behind, knowing he could not meddle farther with the strings of fate. Leaving Zuko standing alone in front of an ancient towering tree that was surrounded by a desolate and endless landscape  
  
A scary tree that felt both beckoning and terrifying, with an all-encompassing force radiating from within that froze him to his core; like prey staring down the open jaws of a predator. He knew he should be terrified of whatever was in there, whatever spirit he’d agreed to talk to; his body was tense, on edge, but his mind knew whatever it was couldn’t be much worse than the father waiting for him on the otherside.  
  
Vaatu couldn't, yet, strike. Agni had, judiciously, left the young human far enough away from the tree that effort would be required to will him close enough for contact.  
  
Oddly, a physical connection was not the first thought in Vaatu's mind.  
  
He'd assumed it would be, how to spitefully mislead the potential new prison to come close enough to lay siege to the welp with no explanation of what was to unfold. Sure, counter-intuitive, but he was petty. He was petty, ancient, willing to wait, and never once bent to the whims of those lesser than himself.  
  
Regardless, once joined if he killed this one he'd just be reborn in another. That's how it worked with Raava, he doubted his vessels would differ.  
  
However, that wasn't his current thought. It had been, before, but it slipped away from him when the small trembling human had been plopped in front of him.  
  
No. He didn't know a great deal about humans, knowing would have required interest and frankly the lot of them were inconsequential, but in passing he knew enough to come to these truths instantly: this human was very young, had been badly mutilated, and because of this was about to die. Even the weakest of humans or spirits had energy flowing within, and this young one had very little left.  
  
Vaatu was bemused as to why this bothered him.  
  
Truly. If he were to actually succumb to the sun spirits wishes, eventually this vessel would die and be replaced by another. Life and death were unavoidable for humans, why should the death of this one be of any concern?  
  
Perhaps, he had grown soft in his long unjust imprisonment.  
  
Or, perhaps watching a wounded dying baby human who had just enough spark left in him to cower dutifully simply struck a chord.  
  
"Um, hello?" Zuko didn't move sans trembling, didn't so much as flinch as he stared wide eye at the tree.  
  
"Hello human child." Vaatu watched with mild amusement as the golden eye darted to either side of the tree before snapping back to the single opening within it; like something lurking from behind might jump out at him and end his suffering.  
  
He wasn't sure why that bothered him, either. Perhaps it was because it's skin still smoldered, perhaps because it was small, disfigured, and potentially having only one eye.  
  
He should find it pathetic, injured, and useless. Somehow, he found fascination in its determination to live despite all. A notion he could find kinship in. Perhaps, should he feel inclined.  
  
"The fire drago—I mean, um, Agni... said you, uh. You could help? Me, that is?" Finally, Zuko moved, some at least; hands slowly fiddling with the bottom of his tunic, looking just as awkward as he sounded.  
  
Vaatu found instant amusement with the daft statement of 'fire dragon'; was this tiny human child as insolent to everything else? "I can, though I have not yet decided if I should."  
  
"Oh." The child's eye fell to the ground in front of him. Defeat, like this was the expected outcome. The spirit decided he liked the rude awkward child more than this version.  
  
"Why do you seek my... help human child?"  
  
"Zuko."  
  
"Zuko?"  
  
"That's my, uh, name." The child glanced up, back down, swallowed, then glanced back up with an odd determination in his face; as much as he could show, with half of the face in question burnt to a crisp.  
  
Vaatu... he didn't really know what to do with that. "Very well, Zuko. Why is it you seek my help."  
  
"Um, the fi— Agni. He… he said you could save me from, dying." His voice was stumbling, hesitant, though his fierce look unwavered. "He said you could make me, better. At, stuff."  
  
"I am capable of this, and more, though did the fire dragon explain who I was or what the cost of my assistance would be?"  
  
"Uh, no. No he, said it wasn't his place?" Zuko's nose scrunching as he thought. Of course there was a cost, everything had a catch.  
  
"Ah." Vaatu shifted, best he could in his confined space; how he longed to fully stretch. "He was correct, it was not his place. He could barely fathom his request to me, let alone explain the technicalities of it."  
  
"Am I going to die here, then?" The child glanced around for the first time yet, absorbing the lack of anything as far as he could see; a suitable place to die, for such a disappointment.  
  
Vaatu, did not understand the question. This human was, perplexing and infuriating. "Explain."  
  
"Huh?" Zuko glanced back at the tree with a look that screamed 'are you stupid?'; a look the spirit did not appreciate receiving and took instant offense over. "You said, you said cost. I don't have anything worth nothing, so I know I'm gonna die... does it have to be here? No offense tree spirit but this place kinda, sucks."  
  
"DO NOT CALL ME THAT YOU AUDACIOUS WELP!" The spirit roared, blinding red light radiating from his prison window, energy fueled by fierce rage; however fading quickly as the human child made a strange noise, took a fumbling step backwards, and fell over to stare.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay? I don't, um, I don't know what to call you?" Great, he was not only going to die in some weird and sad spirit place but he'd also managed to enrage the only spirit who could have maybe helped him; he really was unlucky.  
  
He was glad Azula would never know about this, she’d never let him hear the end of it.  
  
"Vaatu." The spirit, for some unfathomable reason, attempting to be... less angry. His imprisonment had absolutely weakened him. "Do you know of me?"  
  
"I, um, no? Sorry, Vaatu.. I don't. I don't know who you are." Zuko's voice was meek, and he didn't waste the energy to stand, he could die just as easily sitting as he could standing.  
  
"Do you know of my sister, Raava?"  
  
"I, don't. No." Shaking his head, as if needing to confirm his words.  
  
This, this pleased him greatly. While the humans should absolutely know of him, at least they didn't know of Raava either. "Do you know of the human they call the Avatar?"  
  
"Yes, it's a reincarnation of the bridge between the, um, human and spirit worlds. Master of all four elements, and bringer of balance and harmony!" Zuko was glad he sometimes paid attention to his tutors, at least he wasn't completely useless. Even if he was gonna die soon.  
  
"Is that what Raava considers herself these days." Less a question, more a musing statement, agitated regardless. "She is but half of the equation, self-righteous and blind to her own ignorance."  
  
"Is, is the avatar Raava?"  
  
"In a way, I suppose. Have you heard the tale of Avatar Wan?"  
  
"N-no. I know of, many Avatars but I haven't heard of Wan.... was he important?"  
  
Vaatu almost, almost, called Wan a parasite; which is all he'd been. However, now was probably not the time. Assuming he took this child human as his own vessel, they'd have all the time in the world for such factual stories. "He was the very first human to master all four elements by intertwining his own spirit with that of my sister, for all eternity through the reincarnations you humans call the Avatar."  
  
The child seemed to try and rationalize the concept, squinting, fidgeting, never bothering to stand. " So with... without Raava there would be no Avatar?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"But if, but if she's... in the avatar, why are you here?" Finally Zuko crawled to his feet, wobbling slightly for the effort, then taking a few hesitant steps closer to the tree. "Is she stronger than you?"  
  
Vaatu felt an all-encompassing rage consume him. He wanted nothing more than to fill the sky with echoing screams, but he refrained. This human child was skittish, doing so would be, unproductive. "No, she is my equal in every way. We balance each other, we cannot exist without the other."  
  
"Then why are y—" the spirit chose to cut the child human off, for his own sanity.  
  
"Because she chose to change the rules and imprisoned me so she could do as she pleased for all eternity."  
  
"Oh." Zuko sounded sad, a perplexing emotion that the spirit didn't quite understand the context of. "I, um, I have a sister too. She's way stronger, and better, than… me. She makes up her own rules too, never tells me what they are either. She, she hurts me too."  
  
Sympathy. An emotion Vaatu did not appreciate feeling for such a lowly creature. "Ah." Did not appreciate, but perhaps this young and impressionable child would be an acceptable vessel. They share a similar plight.  
  
"Why did she change the rules, if... if you are supposed to, um, balance each other?"  
  
"We are day and night, light and dark, order and chaos. Raava decided many, many, years ago she no longer wanted our shared balance in our world nor your own."  
  
The child considered, oblivious to the scrutiny of the great spirit trapped before him. "But, isn't—" Zuko fell silent, his thoughts jumbling. He knew what his first opinion was, that darkness and chaos were bad things, but he was learning quickly his first thoughts were often wrong. Or, the wrong thing to say, anyways. "How is bringing, like, chaos into the world a good... thing?"  
  
"Neither order nor chaos are, fundamentally, good nor bad unless they are the only option available. Tell me child, is it better for each being to be limited to the exact same experiences or for there to be nothing shared between any of them?"  
  
Zuko's face scrunched, considering both options and hating both equally. "Those are both bad! I don't want to be like everyone else, and... and if everyone was forced to be different how would anyone ever get along?"  
  
"That is my point, young Zuko. Only one of us being allowed to influence the world around us causes imbalance. How do you think your human war has been allowed to continue for so long?" A nerve was struct involuntarily, the child grew very still and very imbalanced. It was unintentional though Vaatu wasn't versed enough in petty human squabbles to understand which side of the human conflict this child sat.  
  
"But, but the war is justified!" He was trying to sound mad, trying to sound determined! The war was, his people were, they were helping!  
  
"Is it? How is one nation of like-minded humans forcing their ideals on everyone else considered to be fair and just?"  
  
"Because we—uh, we..." Zuko scowled, best he could (it wasn’t very convincing). He didn't come here to have his nation, his FAMILY, insulted like this. Actually… he didn't know why, outside of not dying, he was here at all.  
  
"I understand the grand scheme is a hard concept to grasp, specially when it has been ingrained in your mind since birth. However, if you wish my help I must request you keep your mind free of prejudice."  
  
"I am free, of of—whatever! I'm just, that's not fair! We're trying to help!"  
  
"I don't doubt you feel this way, however who's cause are your people aiding? Is it helping Raava to ensure all humans are exactly the same? Same element, same appearances, same mentalities of right and wrong? That is the order Raava has brought upon your world."  
  
Zuko, sat down again.  
  
His head hurt.  
  
Interestingly his face didn’t hurt, but somehow his head did.  
  
He... that was a lot. Everything was a lot. Was, was that how they were helping? By making everyone the same? That, that didn't sound like the right thing to do. That didn't sound like helping. "Vaatu, can... can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Yes, though I cannot promise you will appreciate my answer."  
  
"Um." Briefly, Zuko glanced up towards the tree before focusing on his feet. It wasn't like he could really see Vaatu, didn't know if the spirit even had eyes, but the prospect of maybe eye contract was terrifying. What if this was a trap from his father? What if even thinking such thoughts would get him tortured? "Do, do you know what's happened to the world? In like the, uh, since the war started?"  
  
"I'm afraid you may have to be more specific, otherwise your body may give long before the full answer given."  
  
"Are all the airbenders dead? Did, did they have armies? Are, are the waterbenders cruel and and bad? Did, did we... did we have to..." Zuko wasn't breathing right, frantic in his need for something he couldn't quite explain nor really understand. He knew what he was taught, but was it true? Or was everything he ever knew a lie.  
  
He’d always thought things sounded weird, like some kinda story or something, but he couldn’t ever ask about it! He got in enough trouble just trying to exist within rules that were never explained to him, the last thing he could do is ask questions that’d just make things worse. Everything was already bad, he couldn’t… he couldn’t make them worse.  
  
Vaatu didn't know much about humans, but he knew this one was not okay. It might kill itself before the injuries had a chance to finish him off. "There were no air nomad armies, child. They were a peaceful and free people, who were near eradicated for the sole purpose of killing Raava's avatar. Those of water were never inexplicably cruel, they attacked only in retaliation or for their defense against your own humans.”  
  
“Why did we... did we attack them?” He knew, but he didn’t know; he could guess, it was never explained. Not really.  
  
“To end the incarnation cycle of the Avatar, as they assumed the one born of air had been extinguished."  
  
Zuko's head hurt a little bit more than it already did. "Oh."  
  
"If I may offer a secret to you, young Zuko?"  
  
"Uh, okay?" What was one more horrible painful truth before death anyways. Not like it could make anything worse.  
  
"Those born of air are not entirely gone, nor is Raava's current Avatar whom is of air. They hide for fear of death, but they are not entirely removed from your world."  
  
"Really??" Zuko's head shot up, looking excited... for just a moment, before his grin fell. "But, the war. They'll never be safe to be themselves. That's, bad. That's… that’s not helping."  
  
"Perhaps they never will safe, perhaps they'll be hunted and ended for all time, if nothing changes."  
  
"But, the av—Raava's Avatar hasn't been seen in a hundred years!! And, and—" The child was lively again, worked up with emotion and burning energy his body didn't have to give. "Even if they suddenly appeared! This—this is what your sister wants anyways! Everyone the same, they... they're better off hiding who they are. How can that just, just... happen??"  
  
"This is truth, if nothing changes." Vaatu was trying not to snap at the child to calm before he keels over. Are all humans like this? "That, is the very point of our meeting young child."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Vaatu had never had a headache, in his immeasurable span of existence. Not once. He hadn’t even been aware he could get such a trivial ailment. Within meeting this child, however, he felt one coming on; it was terrible and he disliked it outright. "In return for saving your life, for granting you the infinite power over the four elements, your cost would be joining your spirit with mine. Just like Raava did with Wan an eternity ago."  
  
"I would… replace her Avatar?"  
  
"No child," The spirit chuckled, sounding like howling winds in the dead of night, "You would restore balance. True balance our worlds have not seen in nearing ten thousand years. You would be my Avatar, my first in the line of many, to coexist harmoniously alongside Raava's."  
  
"Oh." Zuko's face grew calm, swallowing hard as the weight of this finally starting to settle. "Okay."  
  
"Okay?"  
  
"Yup." The child teetered as he rose to his feet once more, fists balled together in resolve, eye blazing with the fire of his nation. "I wanna do it!"  
  
Though he'd never admit it, to anyone but perhaps himself years from now (certainly not now, not so soon), Vaatu was feeling several things: admiration at the dying child’s sheer tenacity, exasperation as he was realizing this behavior was potentially tied to his human's personality and not something that’d fade with time, and absolute delight at how unhinged Raava would be when she realized this happened in her absence. "Very well child, come to me with open mind and willing spirit, and I will make us one." 


	2. Zuko's Fantastic Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko wakes up, has a bad time, which proceeds to get worse as the day drags on. Just all around good times to be had in an infirmary. 
> 
> Vaatu learns some human words and judges everyone accordingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be noted: things in italic are inside thoughts, not to be confused with outside thoughts. Just incase someone wishes to not appear like they're talking to themselves.

nce the world started burning, it didn’t stop. The only thing left was searing agony, hysteria, and absence of vision.

The experience could have lasted a heartbeat, or it could have lasted for an eternity; it somehow felt like both.  
  
Then just as suddenly everything started to ease; the pain, the darkness, the destruction, was replaced with a warm welcoming mindscape of a fictional world that couldn’t exist. A place with beautiful rolling hills and windchimes, the offer of help, then it all went to shit. As everything always did.  
  
A not-a-tree-spirit inside of a tree said a lot of things that made everything that was ever known very confusing; not worse, nothing could have made things worse, just definitely confusing. The red-glowing-not-a-tree-spirit said a lot of words that were, like, a lot to think about.   
  
After that the concept of existing became painfully overwhelming, and everything fell back to darkness.   
  
It was a bizarre reverie, and assuming he wasn't dead it gave him a lot to think about. Far more than a thirteen-year-old really needed, on top of every other expectation everyone already saddled him with.   
  
Time had passed since the inexplicable pain induced hallucination, even if he wasn't sure how long it’d been, before he was coherent enough for reality to slam back into his conscious with the force of a stampeding Komodo rhino.  
  
With a screaming jolt, Zuko bolted upright in a very uncomfortable excuse for a bed in a dimly lit and very unknown space; which brought a sudden wave of jarring anxiety. Breathing heavy and uneven, feeling dazed, it took him longer than it should have to become aware of his surroundings.   
  
His body told him sleep, his mind screamed to run.  
  
Realizing where he was made the unease intensify.  
  
Father burned him, uncle was ashamed of him, pain was everything, father would come back to finish what he started, no one cared. No one cared. No one ever cared, not about him. On top of it his mind had shattered, and he was having lucid dreams pretending the spirits cared about him because no one else did.  
  
Now he was in one of the underground infirmaries, tucked outside of the palace walls where no one would hear him scream. Because they knew he’d scream, he was a disappointment and a failure, and his pitiful noises were the last thing anyone needed to hear echoing through the palace walls.  
  
That made sense, in a very sad way, but what didn’t were the bandages across his face. If they had put him here to die, why even both—oh, probably because no one wanted to see it.  
  
Yeah, that’d… that’d make sense.  
  
Zuko could relate, if he somehow survived this he’d never want to see it either.  
  
A thump followed by boots on tile was heard down the hall, and for whatever reason that made him more nervous than he'd already been. He shouldn't feel panic over not being alone, people should be a comfort. Should, but they weren't. He didn't know if he'd ever feel okay around people again.  
  
There was already an unsettling sensation of not exactly being alone, though; a quick glance around the small room suggested he was, but...  
  
' _Calm your breathing child.'_  
  
Zuko shrieked, a horrible raspy sound (he DEFINITELY didn’t sound like that before??) his breathing not calming even a little; in fact, it got worse. "Who... Who said that??"  
  
_'Have you already forgotten?_ '  
  
Wait... oh. Oh.   
  
"Um.." So he hadn't been seeing things? That, that had happened. It had happened...   
  
_'Child, there are humans coming to you, you must calm yourself before they believe your condition worsening.'_  
  
To his credit, Zuko took a few deep breaths, not that it did much good, and flopped down not dramatically. "Why do I fee—"  
  
_'Child Zuko—'_ the creepy voice... the scary rug... no, no that's not right. Vaatu. It was, Vaatu, cutting him off. _'Think your words, less they assume you're losing your mind as well as your body.'_  
  
_'That—that, um, makes... can you hear me?'_  
  
_'Yes, I can hear you.'_  
  
_'Oh, okay.'_ This was weird wasn't it? This was weird. He no longer had his own thoughts apparently? This was weird. _'Um, Vaatu?'_  
  
_'Yes child.'_  
  
_'Why, why don't I feel... bad?'_ He could hear cabinets slamming shut, whispers, and flames flickering in the hallway. _'I mean I feel bad, but not like, dying bad.'_  
  
_'Do you wish to feel... dying bad?'_  
  
Zuko scowled, why would he WANT to feel like that? That was stupid. _'No. But I was, um, I... I was burned bad right? I, I feel like I should be, in a lot of pain?'_  
  
_'Ah. You are correct, the human who sired you did intend to kill. When we joined, you were gifted my extraordinary power, which is allowing your body to heal far faster than it could otherwise.'_  
  
_'Oh.'_ Zuko calmed with that, squinting open his eye to watch as three infirmary staff coming to his bedside. ' _Um, thank you? I think. Thank you.'_  
  
_'Of course. Now, do as they tell you and do not mention me nor anything that transpired. These humans can be trusted to heal you, but they offer you no safety.'_  
  
Watching the three bustle around, setting up supplies and grabbing utensils, the words the angry rug (Vaatu, he'd remember that) said made sense. Every noble who called Caldera home had watched his father... the, the Fire Lord, burn his child. No one did anything. No one stopped it, no one tried to cry out for him. He vaguely remembered rolling on the stone floor for several horrible minutes while they just gawked at him. No one was waiting to help, they'd had to go find people and bring them to the arena.   
  
No one had been waiting. They... they had expected him to die.   
  
Had they wanted... don't, don't think about that.   
  
He remembered that much, before everything... He remembered the pain, the fear, and no one doing anything but watching him. Sure he'd.... he'd lost, because no way could he fight his fat—the Fire Lord, but still!   
  
In that moment, will complete certainty, Zuko found himself unconcerned with the choice he'd made (not dreamt) earlier. Not the refusing to fight choice, which was too much still, but the... the spirit part.   
  
In the very short time he'd known Vaatu, the spirit had been more honest and helpful than anyone else had ever been. Even his own mother had abandoned him, knowing the cruelty he got while she was there, she had still abandoned him. She never even said goodbye, not really.   
  
_'Vaatu?'_  
  
_'Yes child.'_  
  
_'Will you... will you, um...'_ Zuko hesitated, doubt ripping through him as he suspiciously watched the people unbandage him, trying to mask their looks of disgust, as they handled him as if he were a lowly animal instead of their Prince. _'Will you abandon me if, um, if someone better comes along?'_  
  
The sound of a deep laugh echoed in the back of his mind, not really comforting. _'No, we are bound together until your body takes its last breath. Only then I will be reborn within another, to relive our destiny over and over again. Though you will always be my first vessel, a flame all others will be held to.'_  
  
A small smile threatened to pull on his lips. Zuko liked that thought. Liked there would always be someone unwilling to throw him aside as if he were nothing.  
  
He liked that. No one had ever really cared that he was the first born like it was anything but an inconvenience. Like he was just a thing standing in the way of something, someone, exceedingly better; despite how hard he tried to be good enough. Good enough to make his father proud, good enough to belong to this family, good enough to care about.  
  
_'Sleep child, let them clean your wound, and let me take the burden and guide your healing.'_  
  


✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
  
To say that Iroh understood what was happening, would be a vast understatement.  
  
The past few days had been more emotionally charged than the month that'd included his only son dying in battle, his siege discarded in shame, returning home to learn of his fathers passing, his brother's wife gone missing, and his birthright being stolen from him by his younger brother. That had been an emotional and thought invoking period of time. 

Yet somehow, this had been so much harder to endure.  
  
He'd foolishly, his biggest regret to date, allowed his nephew to join him in the war room. He should have known the boy wouldn't stay quiet; Zuko was never still, and never quiet. Ever. Unsurprisingly the boy had lashed out at a cruel plan, accepted an agni kai, and had been expected to duel his pathetic excuse for a father.  
  
And Iroh had just… let it happen, heedless to his own vision.   
  
He'd watched; part of it anyways, until the guilt and cruelty of it overwhelmed him and he was unable to watch as the child burned at the father's hand. He couldn’t gather the courage to stop it, to intervene. To do something, anything.   
  
His inability to stop Zuko's burning nor to stop Lu Ten's orders from coming through, would be the two biggest regrets in his lifetime.   
  
They would plague him, and he deserved it. He'd make it right, at a cost, but the rewards outweighed the risks. 

He should have intervened.   
  
How young Zuko wasn't dead already was a mystery to all; though Iroh wasn’t complaining. No, it had to be a spirit blessing that spared the child’s life. The burn was so deep, so destructive; calculated, cruel, severing nerves, and charring flesh black. The original prognosis was death, and in the slim chance the child survived he'd probably lose the eye, hearing on that side, and then have to survive infection. Best case scenario was loss of sight, hearing, a horrible scar he'd bear the burden of his entire life, depth perception issues that would undoubtedly affect his bending, shredded vocal cords from the screaming, but otherwise escape death.  
  
To make it worse, before the sun even rose the next day Fire Lord Ozai decreed his son banished; the boy a disgrace, and only able to return to the fire nation if he somehow captured the Avatar and brought them home. Brought the Avatar back to Caldera, alive.  
  
An Avatar who had not been seen in a hundred years.  
  
Iroh began making plans instantly. The second he read the decree he was moving like his own life depended on it; wasting as much coin as he was offered in the off chance Zuko survived. If he didn't, well, then Iroh could give a shit less about the squandered coin.  
  
Much to his surprise, the boy not only survived the ordeal but just two days later he was recovering at a surprising speed. There was no sign of infection, the eye responded to light, a good sign even if they didn't know how functional it would be. The flesh calmed, swelling drastically reducing, the bleeding stopped almost entirely.   
  
He wouldn't lie, he'd been shocked; if he ever learned the name of the spirit had clearly blessed the boy then Iroh would build them a shrine. The biggest, most elaborate shrine the fire nation could afford.   
  
No, he'd build the spirit a damn temple.  
  
He couldn't be that hopeful, not yet. He couldn't allow himself to believe in such an optimistic prognosis. For now, he had matters to attend to.   
  
If he was distracting himself with wasting the royal coin reserves, then so be it.  
  
His endeavors had brought him to the port, discussing the cargo space with the Lieutenant of the ship he'd acquired, when a breathless nurse came barreling in his direction. "General... Iroh!!" The young woman wheezed out between inhales, finally slowing to a hop-walk; panting heavily as she approached. "The, Prince—“.   
  
Iroh dropped his tea cup, eyes wide in terror.  
  
"No sir, he's... he's awake!" She seemed excited for a second, a fleeting moment of happiness before the realization of their surroundings dawned on her. The port, a ship, a military officer, right... the banishment that would be effective in a few short days.  
  
So much for good news lifting their spirits.  
  
"I must depart, apologies, please carry on as planned Lieutenant Jee." Iroh offered him a bow, like the man either cared or deserved it. Jee shrugged, attesting his indifference to formalities (of which Iroh chose to ignore), instead turning to the young nurse with a grave face. "Take me to him."  
  
Lieutenant Jee watched the old man take his leave with limited concern; taking a drag from his cigarette. He didn't really know what he'd gotten himself into, but he did know it beat dock detail.   
  
It also beat the knowledge that one more strike against him would land his ass discharged and imprisoned at a coal mine. Babysitting a couple of royals and politely vomiting 'yes sir' left and right would be grating, but it sure as shit beat the coal mines.   
  


✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
  
_'Tell me child, are humans typically so frail?'_  
  
Mentality, Zuko scoffed at the remark. _'We—I'm NOT frail!'_ He'd learned earlier, the hard way, to keep his face blank as possible and only react in the safety of his mind.  
  
Vaatu had said something funny about the way a nurse's face twisted in concentration and he'd laughed. The nurse had panicked, assusming it was a sign of delusional and forced him to take some terrible medication that made him lax and fuzzy.  
  
Zuko would NOT make that mistake again.  
  
_'These humans seem most concerned you will still die from your burn. Despite your triumphant recovery thus far.'_  
  
 _'Not. Frail. It's just, um.'_ His thoughts scattered, offering him few words that fit together (he blamed it on the bad liquid they kept insisting he needed). _'It's just I'm a Pri—well, I was, or I kinda am a Prince. It’s vague… anyways, it's really hard to burn a firebender so this is a, like a big deal.'_ Both statements equally painful, combined they hurt as much as the act of being burned had been.  
  
Zuko learned of his banishment and potential loss of title by means of Vaatu.   
  
Which was a hurtful way to find out.  
  
It’d been during one of his unwanted fuzzy times; the staff had gossiped over his father banishing him for basically ever. His face was ugly now, and he was banished, and could only come home if he somehow found Raava's avatar who had been gone for a hundred whole years! To make it even more insulting, if he returned at any point without the other stupid Avatar he'd lose his title and be thrown in prison.   
  
Or, worse.   
  
Because there was a worse. A pyre. A pyre he'd be placed on alive. While the whole city watched.   
  
Yeah under no circumstance would he be returning, ever. Ever.   
  
Horrible stupid news that he had to learn, being as unlucky as possible, he'd had to learn about it from staff gossiping next to his unconscious body, from Vaatu. He was sulking about that and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.  
  
_'I don't understand human customs of rank and superiority, but I suspect that is very... orderly sounding. Humans keeping other humans in check with silly words and trivial demands.'_  
  
 _'Yeah, I guess so.'_  
  
 _'I understand you're feeling jaded by your news, and the cruelty shown by your blood related humans. However is there not comfort in knowing, from this, you have become one of two avatars, and the very first of mine?'_  
  
_'Yeah, yeah. You're great Vaatu, I know that.'_ Zuko scowled; both at the spirit living rent free in his mind (body? Spirit?) and at the nurse asking him about his pain.  
  
"I'm fine, I said that earlier."  
  
"But my Prince, yo—"  
  
"I am NOT your Prince, I'm nobody's Prince anymore you know that!" Zuko snapped at her, swatting a hand at the stupid vial he wanted nothing to do with. "It feels weird, but it doesn't HURT, and I don't need your stupid vial!"  
  
_'You should temper yourself, before they get offended enough to force you to take it.'_ Vaatu was, equally unwelcoming to the heavy sedative they kept trying to force upon his vessel. He could dilute it to a degree, but the more they gave the longer it took. He didn't enjoy the solitude during the child's deep restless sleep.  
  
Didn't like the painful memories that played in the mind when it wasn’t attempting to harbor.   
  
It'd only been a few sun cycles thus far, but the spirit knew injustice was something he and his vessel shared.   
  
"Sorry." Zuko huffed at the nurse who was glaring at him. "It's, I've... I've had a lot happen, that's not your fault. I'm sorry."  
  
The nurse seemed hesitantly pacified, far more unconvinced of the 'I'm fine!' statement, but was willing to not push it for now. The boy did seem to be stable enough, even eating bland solid foods without incident.  
  
She still figured the kid was full of shit. Probably puking on the other side of the bed (she’d check later).  
  
"Is he still awake??" Was heard from the hallway, alongside the sound of footsteps getting louder. Zuko knew instantly that was uncle; knowledge that made him feel more uneasy than anything.   
  
He'd like to trust uncle, really. The man was nicer than father but he'd watched with such ignominy before looking away, and he'd done absolutely nothing to help. Trusting him would be foolish.   
  
If he didn’t help this time, would he ever help?  
  
No. Maybe, probably not. All risk no reward.  
  
Vaatu, though saying nothing regarding his opinion of this human relation, was pleased no effort was required in influencing the child's own opinion. The spirit didn't like him; he wreaked of secrets and there was no doubt they could affect the well-being of the child he was now intertwined with.   
  
His vessel, his child.   
  
The old human would not be allowed to intervene with what belonged to him.   
  
"Yes General, he's awake and seeming quite coherent!" That voice didn't get louder, thankfully. One less person to treat him like an infant who needed coddling.  
  
_'Should I, um, ignore him?'_  
  
Vaatu preened at being consulted over this. His opinion already overshadowed that of blood relations; as it should. _'I don't believe so, I worry his motives for assistance are selfish but turning him away until we're more settled might cause unnecessary burdens.'_  
  
 _'So, pretending.'_  
  
The spirit had no idea what pretending meant. _'Yes.'_ He was going to assume it was a softer word for lying. That was a word he was very supportive of.  
  
"Prince Zuko!" Iroh looked winded, probably from being out of shape and running from whatever stupid tea shop he was playing stupid games at.   
  
"I'm not really much of a Prince anymore, uncle." Zuko avoided eye contact, which was surprisingly a lot easier with half a face of bandages, though he did at least sit back up. To pretend like he cared, and to enforce that he was fine.  
  
"Ah." Frowing, he was hoping the truth of the situation could be avoided for a bit longer. "A banished Prince is still a Prince."   
  
Scoffing, his eye fell to his lap, wanting nothing more than to tell everyone to leave him alone he was fine! He didn't even care about this stupid banishment, he had more important shit to do. He told Vaatu he'd pretend, though. "Doesn't matter, it's fine."   
  
"When did you hear, nephew?"   
  
"Earlier when I was waking up and the staff were gossiping very loudly." Zuko shrugged a shoulder, like it wasn't a big deal. He should probably view it as a big deal. He knew that, but if he wasn't about to be banished then he'd have to stay in Caldera. He'd, have to stay in the palace. With them.   
  
Banishment was a good thing. He couldn't, wouldn't, stay here. Ever.   
  
"I'm sorry... Zuko, I truly am." Iroh was watching intensely, hiding his concerns behind a mask of just sorrow. He'd expected this to be taken a lot harder. With a lot more... theatrics. "Are you feeling better?"   
  
"I'm feeling fine, though no one believes me! They keep trying to drug me!" Scowling, the heated look shot to the nurse was missed by nobody.   
  
"Ah, I'm sorry for that. They are trained professionals attempting to do what's right by you." He attempted a supportive smile, knowing the nagging was being ill-received. Equally knowing the fact the boy was upright, talking, and making faces at staff already; after just a few short days, this was absolutely unheard of. A burn this bad should have taken months to get him to this point. Months of delirium and horrible infections. "How is your left eye doing?"   
  
"What?" Zuko snapped his gaze to his uncle.  
  
"Does it hurt, can you..."   
  
"Can I what?" His nose scrunched.   
  
"Can you, see anything out of it?"   
  
Zuko rolled his eye... eyes? It felt like both reacted, but with the bandages and all. His right eye closed. _'All I see is white, how am I supposed to see anything with stupid bandages in the way?'_  
  
 _'You're being a smartass child.'_  
  
 _'So? I'm always a smart, um... ass'_ Saying words that'd usually get him smacked was, new. He liked it, especially when Vaatu chuckled at him. "I see white, obviously. Shadows?"   
  
"That's a good sign my boy!" Iroh perked up, motioning at the nurse to come closer. "Take these off, I wish to know how much he can see." His voice was happy, though pointed and not to be questioned.   
  
The nurse made no attempt to question anything, just nodding and skittering to the bedside to unwrap the bandages. She certainly didn’t believe these ‘I’m fine’ ostrich-horseshit claims but she wasn’t stupid enough to deny the Dragon of the West anything.   
  
"Now?" The attempt at being upbeat was, attempted and then skittered away before it could be stopped. Seeing the red angry burn seared across his nephew's face made it impossible to give chase.   
  
"Um…" Zuko blinked heavily, letting the eye try and adjust to the light for the first time since he'd been in here. The lantern flames were small, and few, but it still made him wince before closing his right eye again. "Everything's kinda, blurry? Shapes sorta, but blurry."   
  
Iroh frowned, nodding. "I'm glad it's not as bad as expected." Said while motioning for the nurse to rewrap the wound.   
  
"What's that mean? Bad as expected?" Zuko didn't like the sound of that, but he should know. Just in case something happened and it got worse. So he'd know what to expect. Plus it was HIS eye, he should know the truth.   
  
"Don't be concerned with what could have been, instead let's focus on the fact you are recovering at an unprecedented speed!"   
  
_'What's he talking about? Do you know?'_  
  
 _'The other humans assumed you would lose all sight in that eye, or the eye would be ruined and have to be removed.'_ Vaatu wasn't sure why the human was daft enough to mention an alternative but then refuse to state what it was. Perhaps some form of misguided comfort? Ridiculous, just further proving they weren't to be trusted.   
  
_'I don't want to loos—'_  
  
 _'You won't child. The eye is fine. I've told you several times I would do everything I could to help you. The eye is included in this, and I've done what I could to heal it as well.'_ The spirit didn't mention the effort it took to shield the eye from taint, nor flowing as much blood through it to increase circulation and strengthen the nerves. Nerves that had fought against him. Because that wasn't what the child asked, not because he himself was offering comfort.   
  
_'Thank you.'_  
  
"Nephew, are you alright?" Iroh wasn't entirely sure what was going on with him at this moment; just sitting quietly while having face wrapped, that was very out of character. Perhaps, it was just fatigue...   
  
"Yes. Just, I'm just thinking."   
  
"About?"   
  
"Stuff." Zuko waited with slipping patience, as his face was plastered with stupid itchy bandages again. He wanted to snap, wanted to yell at them all to just leave him alone already! That wouldn't be smart. They'd drug him again, and he wanted that less than he wanted to yell. He could yell later. Finally glancing up, uncle was watching him with a weird look on his face. A look Zuko didn't like. "When does my banishment start, do I need to find a ship.... or a crew, people? I need to pack."   
  
"Ah! Do not concern yourself with any of that." Iroh didn't sit, but he did lean over to offer a firm hand on his nephew's shoulder; received with a very violent flinch that he just didn’t have the heart to acknowledge. He shouldn't have boldly touched him like that, not yet. "I've taken care of most of this, I will be joining you during your—mission."   
  
"Oh. O-okay, um, thank you." He gulped, throating burning and threatening to close, liking the idea of not being alone but also not liking the idea of not being alone. There was very little trust left in his heart, and he knew it was going to take a lot of... pretending to coexist willingly with uncle, with whatever crew was scraped from some seedy alleyway.  
  
Zuko wasn't stupid, despite what his fath—the Fire Lord or his sister thought; he knew he needed help, he'd need someone tangible to lean on for a while. That didn't mean he'd have to trust them, any of them. He couldn't, not again. They were a means to an end, and the second he was able to run he would.   
  
Vaatu, equally, was very against this ordeal of this old human being in their company. He didn't speak up, there really wasn't a reason to. His vessel was maimed and, as far as humans were concerned, still young to be traveling alone. Regardless, the child was extremely wary on his own accord, his work was done.   
  
He explicitly knew how valid these opinions were.   
  
The child didn't have to verbalize anything; his memories, his reactions, these already confirmed the truth of the situation. The child, his vessel, this.. Zuko, was broken from years of negligence; Vaatu didn't understand it, why torture something evidently unwanted, but he did understand consequences to actions. The actions of these blood related humans had brought upon his unity with this child, and in return their consequences would be dire.   
  
Their demise would not be instantaneous, as there was much to be done.   
  
Eventually, before they knew it, though the damage they dealt would be repaid and it will be devastating.   
  
_'Hey Vaatu.'_  
  
His reeling interrupted, the focus was wrenched from future vengeance back to the present. _'Yes child.'_  
  
 _'Did they, um… shave my head?'_  
  
The spirit was, startled; what superficial nonsense… were humans always this, preposterous? _'Explain your question.'_  
  
Here he lay, having nearly survived this life-threatening malicious betrayal of his blood relations, and yet there was concern over whatever shaving meant?   
  
_'Hair?'_ Ah, fur.   
  
_'Your head is without... hair, presently, yes.'_  
  
 _'Oh.'_ Zuko frowned, pulling the thin blanket over his entire body; head and all.  
  
_'I assume like all creatures born of flesh and fur, this will grow back?'_  
  
No actual worded response was given, just grumbling noises and an exhale; an unwarranted reaction to an equally dumbfounding question. Of all the insignificant things to brood over, the fur of one's head was high on the list. What's next, being concerned with the fabric he wore on his body?   
  
No, that'd just be absurd. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I broke this, so hopefully both chapters actually do the thing and I don't have to struggle to figure out what I did (or didn't do...).


	3. Disappearing into the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Zuko got his (fiery) grove back, proceeded to disappear into the woods, Vaatu has an endless amount of snark, Jee doesn't get paid enough for this shit, and a tree may or may not be set in fire.

The ship trudged steadily towards it's randomly selected destination; ashes from the coal leaching upwards to taint the clouds above an announcement to anyone who cared. If they were lucky, no one would care.

Zuko didn't consider himself lucky, but Fire Nation ships were a plague that infected the world and there was little surprise when one showed up at a port.

(Unbeknownst to him, his little decrepit junker was one of the only in the Fire Nation fleet that wasn't received with open hostility and jacked up prices.)

(Because, again unspoken, the Wani was the only one full of self-loathing Fire Nation barely-soldiers who were several things that didn't include heartless murderers with a desire to burn first ask questions later. Those several things included: being blunt, occasionally helpful, and confrontational to every other ship in their nation's ever expanding fleet. They were also borderline broke, which didn't help poverish economies, but one time the not-a-prince-don't-call-me-that had (allegedly) set fire to some Zhao guys ship, so somethings were forgiven.)

So there might be a destination in mind, but it was nothing more than a requirement expected of them; to pretend they were obediently following the terms of banishment and dedicated to the task at hand. They wouldn't dock the ship unless supplies were low or probable cause was needed to sell the lie; usually the Wani just dropped anchor for a day, far enough from shore to avoid interactions, before puttering off again. Unless it was a fun drinking port with entertaining company, then docking was a requirement.

For... rumor related reasons, of course.

The game was still, grating. The Fire Lord had required letters detailing progress of the superfluous hunt, regardless of the letters going unread; a fact they knew, as an angry thirteen year old had once detailed his opinion regarding his quest and they still got paid (the opinions were exceptionally unflattering). There was never progress because the (known) Avatar was missing, had been missing, and there was absolutely nothing to suggest that would be changing. Zuko knew that, uncle knew that, the crew knew that, and the Fire Lord sure as shit knew that; the banishment, and the requirements to end it were nothing more than an excuse to remove, what was perceived to be, a weak link in the line of succession. This quest was never intended to be successful.

A painful truth that took months to make purchase; it would have taken far longer, years (, if ever), had Vaatu not been the one detailing it. Turns out it's a lot harder to wallow in denial when one couldn't run away or ignore the voice of reason.

Truth be damned, though, the letters still had to be written. Not out of their honorable duty, none of them were particularly loyal to the crown on the best of days, but most importantly they'd skipped sending a letter once and funding was cut for two months.

(The true reason for the dock in funding, and therefore paychecks, was the whole Zhao's ship mysteriously catching fire while being docked near the Wani; however that nugget of truth had never been relayed to their crew.)

They never missed sending another letter.

Which meant the ship had to go somewhere in order to have something to lie about.

Presently the ship was cruising in a steady arc to avoid Fire Nation waters, north to south, under the guise of searching the numerous southern islands that used to belong to the Air Nomads. They probably did, still, technically; the islands were all unkept, overgrown by nature, and not a living being had been seen in a long time. It didn't seem any nation was in a rush to claim them.

The islands were the perfect place to lie about searching, even if it was a depressing trip.

As the ship clipped along in the dead of night, only two people were currently on deck; only one was actually awake, the other was scheduled on guard duty but was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. So, very much not awake.

The one awake was Zuko, who was currently sprawled on the deck, being lulled into tranquility by the gentle rolling of waves; listening to the water crash against the hull, staring upward at the night sky.

It was vast, it was consuming, and it made him question his place in the universe; his real place, his destiny.

Not the old destiny he used to obsess over, that one had been charred to death in front of a live audience. The new destiny, the one that mattered, where he was Vaatu's Avatar and would end this war by any means necessary.

A year ago he'd thought he'd known everything regarding his fate, he'd had a plan. A solid plan. Stop sucking at bending, learn to stop being a disappointment, make the Fire Lord proud, then eventually become Fire Lord himself. Then probably be killed by his sister so she could take the crown, but it would have been nice while it lasted.

Now, he had nothing. Well, he had something but no plan to execute it; Zuko could barely firebend now, flinching constantly at his own element, or when people touched him, how was he supposed to master three other whole ass elements when he couldn't even handle his own?

Maybe everything was a joke.

Maybe, the voice in his head was a product of his irrational imagination instead of some great and all powerful spirit. That made more sense, he considered; scowling up at the stars above, like they were in on the sick joke.

After all why would some spirit want to help someone so... so... much of a disappointing failure?

' _Your thoughts are growing grim again child_.' Vaatu was attempting to sound neutral; his vessel had been cracking long before the biggest blow was struck, and while the pieces were being reconstructed it was very much a work in progress.

One might assume the spirit of darkness and chaos wouldn't mind the disaster, perhaps even encourage it to fester; in this mindscape there was nothing but anger, hurt, and unpredictability. It should suit his needs, but far from it; the child would be strong enough to endure, in this state he was a self-inflicted tragedy. His entirety was unfocused, erratic, and still hurt in the way he'd run back to those who inflicted the damage at the first hint of affection.

No, healing must happen first and Vaatu would be the one to do it.

' _They're not grim... they're, the truth.'_ Zuko was frowning, though otherwise didn't pull his attention away from the stars above.

_'Truth can still be grim, and no answers will come from wallowing in it.'_

_'I am NOT wallowing!'_

The spirit offered a chuckle, clearly disagreeing. _'Very well then, what demoralizing adages are you marinating in?'_

_'I am not... really?' Nose scrunching in annoyance. 'I am not some kinda komodo chicken, this is stupid.'_

_'Ah, well when you wish to hear guidance please feel free to seek my wisdom, I'm ill-equipped to offer insight to the nuances of human culinary practices.'_ Vaatu dropped it at that, appreciating his skill of deflecting the spiraling thoughts to an entirely different type of annoyance (the kid did make it easy).

The silent brooding did not last long.

_'Vaatu what if I'm never good enough.'_

_'For, what?'_

_'For, for...'_ Zuko grunted, gesturing vaguely before flopping his arms against the deck. _'Everything? Nothing, bending? I mean I'm not, I can't... I suck at my own element how am I supposed to figure out the rest?'_

 _'Ah.'_ This again. The second most common pattern of destructive thoughts, following only the family situation; both fueled by the same source, two sides of the same coin. _'You seem to believe that your own abilities are inferior due to comparing them to someone else's.'_

_'Yeah but—'_

_'No.'_

_'But!'_

_'No.'_ A pause, waiting for the next interpretation; there was only a dramatic sigh of defeat. _'You must learn your own worth child, you are not them and they are not you. Once you realize this you will rise to become invincible.'_

_'Yeah but they're better than me, more powerful and, um, skilled! I can't, just, ignore that!'_

_'Why?'_

_'Why?'_ Zuko iguana parroted, not... why? _'Uh, because... because they're better?'_

_'So?'_

He... he didn't know how to respond to that. Really? Because they could kick his ass? Because he wasn't good enough to even deserve his family's love, how in spirit's name was he good enough to deserve this? That wasn't the answer wanted; saying it would result in other things said in an attempt to make him feel better, which would make him feel worse, then Vaatu would be mad at him, and they'd both be miserable, and he'd yet again be a huge disappointment...

_'You're thinking too much child, it's a simple question.'_

_'No, not really.'_

_'It is. So what if they have more brute strength, that doesn't make them more powerful.'_ It never ceased to amuse him how narrow minded humans could be. _'Power alone does not equate to being superior, nor being useless, it merely means they rely on one skill. You are a clever human child, once you use your innovating thoughts to better yourself you will be a force to reckon with.'_

Zuko seemed to consider this, moving to sit up with legs crossed; absent-mindedly fiddling with the hem of his pants. _'You, um, you really think so?'_

_'I am not one for lying child, I may be ancient but I have no time to waste with words I do not mean.'_

_'Oh. Um, okay. Thanks?'_ That felt like the right thing to say; he hadn't been on the receiving end of positivity (that wasn't shrouded in metaphors he didn't understand) so reacting to them was... new. _'Thank you.'_

_'Of course.'_

They fell back into a peculiar silence, broken only by the odd timing of waves sloshing against the metal ship; it wasn't tense, nor suffocating, but it was clear Zuko's mind was racing with anxious thoughts with no clear end in sight. Not without intervention.

_'Have you ever meditated at night, child?'_

_'Uhh... why would I do that?'_ Face scrunched again, a glance was given to the near full moon shining above. It was bright, sure, but it wasn't the sun?

 _'Do you know where the moon gets its glow?'_ The answer was obvious, the question mostly rhetorical; the silence confirmed that, no he didn't. _'It comes from reflecting the light of the sun. While the warmth is absent, the illumination draws from the same source.'_

_'Huh. That's, uhhh, interesting? But—'_

_'But, focusing your meditation on the moon will allow you to locate the position of the sun. Thus, drawing power from it.'_

_'That...'_ Zuko paused the thought; it sounded fake, like how was he supposed to find the sun by some light bouncing off the moon? That sounded silly, but... but Vaatu never lied to him so maybe it wasn't? _'Okay, okay, but how?'_

 _'You'll figure it out eventually.'_ Not a lie, Vaatu had full confidence that one day the child would figure it out; until then, the actual intention of mentioning it in the first place was, it'd offer something constructive to think about at night.

Or something else to set his inordinate focus on with a heedless abandonment of everything else that'd ultimately end in success or something else to hate himself over.

Either or.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Everything was stupid, okay.

Both Zuko and Vaatu were in agreement with this fact.

The ship was stupid, the water was stupid, the crew was really stupid, firebending was stupid, and if uncle said one more stupid metaphor over stupid fucking tea Zuko was going to lose his shit.

"Nephew I think you've pushed yourself hard enough for one day, why don't we have som—"

"UNCLE." The Zuko in question, was that much closer to losing his shit; fists ablaze as he glared. "I don't want any tea, I want to get BETTER!"

Iroh nodded, sagely, but turned and walked off towards the stairway; undoubtedly to go set up a pot of tea anyways. A pot he'd absolutely bring back on deck, and sit down with, then proceed to spew out some metaphor about how a sapling can't become a tree out of sheer will or something equally stupid and Zuko would breathe fire and scream and stomp below deck to hide in his quarters. He was NOT a sapling, or a tree, he was a whole ass PERSON and his fire wasn't good enough. Tea, or metaphors, or stupid pai sho was not going to help. At. All!

Zuko decided, smartly, he'd cut the shit and skip directly to the part where he was locking himself in his quarters and demanding to be left alone.

_'You're getting far better with the art of avoidance, child.'_

Zuko grunted, glaring down some crewmember who was leaning against a wall picking his nose, before making a run for it before anyone could think to stop him.

_'I wish I was getting better at everything else.'_

_'I'm quite sure you are, your hands were impressively on fire just moments ago.'_ Vaatu was partially being supportive, partially instigating. Everyone else hated it when the child was angry (probably because they were, to a degree, flammable) but he personally found it most enjoyable. The threats were creative and truths were offered far more willingly.

Plus it really pissed everyone else off; a bonus for his efforts.

Not that his vessel could actually lie to him, but he was the only one being offered trust and given answers rather than taking them went far. Trust would make everything easier in the grand scheme of it.

_'Yeah it's also been an entire year since we got stuck on this stupid ship looking for Raava's missing dumbass, and I can't do much more than simple katas without stumbling.'_

_'At least your fur has grown out.'_

_'My WHAT?'_ Zuko jerked, almost missing a step as he moved down the stairs to the lower deck; no one saw him fumble so that actually never happened.

_'Your head.'_

_'Fur? I don't HAVE fur Vaatu what the fuc— hair??'_

_'The black fur... hair, on your head.'_ The thing you complained about in earnest for months, he didn't add; no one could ever say he wasn't merciful. _'It's getting quite long, fluffy?'_

He was trying hard not to scream, he really really was; growth, being a better person, or whatever. Not really either (they sounded good) just not wanting to have someone bug him about 'what's wrong now Prince Zuko'; he fucking hated being called Prince and they never stopped doing it. _'Great, yeah my fluffy FUR has grown out that definitely makes up for my shitty bending. Thanks.'_ He didn't scream, but he did scowl. No one could take that away from him.

 _'I was merely making a more positive acknowledgement.'_ He was actually just flat out instigating now. _'You will have to free yourself from the confines of order to achieve growth in your fire, you know.'_

 _'Huh?'_ Zuko blinked stupidly, leaning against the door in the safety of his room; making sure to lock it, less a pot of tea force itself and it's 'wisdom' on him. The room was a barren place, mostly just clothes and pointless Fire Nation scrolls he didn't care about tossed haphazardly.

Everything he cared about was still tucked away in a bag or two, ready to go. Just in case.

_'You will never be able to regain your fire in the traditional sense. You've been scarred, lost half your hearing, lost much sight from one eye, and thus are now imbalanced.'_

_'Great so I'm broken, thanks I feel way better now.' Pouting, he was absolutely not pouting. 'Hey but at least I'm fluffy!'_

Vaatu chuckled, he enjoyed their words more than he'd ever admit. Banter, the humans called it. _'Not necessarily child. You are perfectly imbalanced, which is far more conducive to our path of disorder.'_

_'Is that a fucking metaphor because I will throw myself overboard and kill me right now.'_

_'I'd never do such a thing. My statement was quite literal. Raava seeks harmony, order, and keeping things stagnantly unchanging. I prefer chaotic, more unpredictable methods. You must learn unconventionally due to your forced limitations, but in doing so you will be far more open to unlocking new ways of using the elements.'_

_'Huh, I... I never thought of it like that.'_

_'Well you are a child, and I have taken notice that planning isn't your strong suit.'_

_'I'm NOT a child, I'm fourteen!!' Zuko snapped, scowling harder. 'And, and, I thought you'd appreciate my lack of planning!'_

_'I suppose.'_ If the spirit had eyes, he would have rolled them; he (sort of) had a single eye, but rolling it didn't have the same effect. _'You could speak to your human relation, question him if your bending would come easier nontraditionally.'_

His arms crossed, still scowling but just a little less, the idea of directly asking for alternatives being painful. _'Why? Like some war general who considers me a disgrace is going to be happy to help me be creative or, whatever.'_

 _'Perhaps, perhaps not. Perhaps you should study the scrolls you have from other elements instead?'_ Vaatu preened that the asking the old human was an idea abandoned immediately.

_'Why? You said before I gotta redo fire before I can think about other elements, what's the point? So I can fail at multiple things??'_

_'Zuko.'_

Zuko, stilled, face falling to a neutral expression; the mask was forming and walls climbing higher. The spirit only used his name when he was losing patience... he couldn't... he couldn't have someone else be disappointed in him too. _'Sorry. I, um, I didn't..'_

 _'Child, breathe.'_ Vaatu was, often, at a point of wanting to scream and yell like his vessel (constantly) did. However, he was aware that the blood related humans had.... really messed this child up. The amount of times he locked up, flinched, dissociated, apologized over trivial nothings, or lashed out in defense, it was exhausting to experience even secondhand. _'We have two options for you to consider. Either attempting to seek alternative bending from your human relation, or study the other bending forms to see how they might translate.'_

 _'Yeah, yeah.. um.'_ Zuko was attempting to breathe, he could do that. He could, breathe; not be a disappointment, really. He was too old to still be like this. _'Maybe, air? Air seems… umm, like what I have the most of.'_ He’d managed to acquire a few waterbending scrolls along the way, but mostly he’d just borrowed from the air temples where he'd looked for the other Avatar.

Pretended to look, anyways.

They'd known no one would live at any of the temples, though the clusters of charred skeletons had absolutely set him back a few months (it was fine, he was FINE) (he wasn’t fine and he didn’t deserve to be), but at least he'd found a bunch of airbending scrolls hidden in a storage space behind a tapestry. That was the only way he'd ever learn airbending, after... after what happened. After what his family, his nation, after what they'd done.

If he had someone to give the scrolls back to, to the people who deserved them, he would. Really. Zuko had been genuinely surprised when he’d found them in the first place; it was a (deplorable) tradition the military had, to take anything of merit as trophies. Like some medal of honor. It made him sick, now, to think back. To be aware of the countless possessions from other nations that littered the palace. As a child (he wasn’t a child, okay, he was a teenager and there was a difference) he hadn’t thought much about them before, just more clutter he could potentially bump into and get into trouble over.

Now, though. Now the knowledge brought guilt; because he clearly needed more things to feel guilty over.

_‘You’re spiraling into dark thoughts again vessel.’_

_‘No I’m not.'_ Glaring at nothing, the accusation jarred his runaway thoughts; which were not dark, they were just… okay they were dark, but they were true and he shouldn’t forget them. Just in case, one day, he could… do something about it.

_'Air would be a wise choice, their moves are very lax and flexible. Though, perhaps we should consider your opposite element instead.'_

His face scrunched. _‘Why?’_ It wasn’t like he knew any Avatars personally or anything, but from what he read the counter elements had always been considered the hardest for the Avatar to learn. If he couldn’t even use his own element correctly, why would he try water?

_‘I know what you’re thinking—’_

_‘Stop reading my mind that’s fucking rude!!’_

_‘—but I don’t speak of attempting to bend water, child, I mean understanding the root of their bending.’_

_‘Huh?’_

Vaatu sighed; humans really did need everything spelled out for them, didn’t they? _‘Push and pull.’_

 _‘O-okay? So, how does that...’_ Zuko felt a pang of panic, memories of his inability to focus on confusing lectures; the burns, the scars, that he’d received in an attempt to make him ‘focus better’. He knew Vaatu wouldn’t hurt him, not like that, but that didn’t stop the dread from building; why couldn’t he just, understand and pay attention.

To say the growing darkness within the child wasn’t noticeable to the spirit would be preposterous. _‘The water they bend does not come from inside them like your fire, they must will the water found in the environment around them. This is a balance of pushing and pulling, to take that which is available and claim it as their own.’_

 _‘Oh. That, um, that makes a lot of sense.’_ It should have been obvious, he knew that, but it wasn’t like he’d ever studied waterbenders; they didn’t exactly teach anything… positive, about the other elements or the other nations. _‘So, I... I should practice with, like, controlling fire that isn’t mine?’_

_‘That is correct child, see you can be clever when you wish to be.’_

That... that was an insult, but if he squinted it was a kinda compliment, so that’s how he was going to take it. _‘Right. Okay, I can do that.’_ At least he had managed to find a few waterbending scrolls (okay pirates had ‘found’ them, he’d just spent the Fire Lord's coin to buy them), hopefully they were beginner scrolls.

For once in his life, thankfully, Zuko had been lucky.

Out of the five waterbending scrolls, he’d managed to find a couple moves that were beginner(ish) and focused on varying degrees of water control. Just like Vaatu had suggested (who smugly pointed this out, several times) a lot of it was about, duh, pushing and pulling water; to connect to the energy created by movement, and to lay claim the water that seemed to exist in practically everything. It was definitely the polar of what he’d always been taught, that fire was force and strength; that the only fire that counted was one’s own, if someone wasn’t enough to wield their own they were weak.

Zuko was starting to understand just how constricting that actually was.

Sure being in tune with your chi was important, having power was too, but the prospect of taking control away from someone else… that, that was a thought; a very curious, devious, thought at that.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

_‘Uughhh! This is harder than it should be.’_ He was, sorta, getting frustrated; yet again he’d snuffed the torch out instead of pulling the fire away.

 _‘You’re getting there child, it’s only been part of a day and you’re able to seize control most of the time.’_ The spirit was, despite his neutral tone, quite impressed. For a human who’d never been taught control over an element could be taken, the child was getting the hang of it quickly. Promising, too, for when they moved to learning to control water.

A perk, Vaatu noted, was this practice was never taught; how amusing it would be when his vessel took fire from others.

Zuko mumbled, relighting the torch with a wave before closing his eyes and focusing on controlled breaths; letting his chi beckon the flames, feeling as it responded and started to rise and fall along with him. He could feel it, he could almost see it without sight (maybe sensing fire was another possibility that wasn’t taught) (or maybe he just hadn’t paid attention…). Keeping his eyes closed, he brought a hand up and tugging at the flame; willing it to grow, calling it to his open hand, until the fire relented and he could feel it seeking his will.

The last few times he moved too quickly, culling it instead of guiding it, so he tried a more relaxed fluid motion. Staying seated, calmly, turning his hand slowly in front of him, over and past his head in a whipping motion; the fire followed willingly, obediently tracking his movements, before he turned his wrist and sent it back to the torch.

_‘Very well done child.’_

Zuko beamed, finally looking at the torch that flickered as if nothing ever happened. _‘It worked right? I wasn’t, uh, looking.’_

_‘Indeed it did, could you feel it?’_

_‘Yeah.. yeah I could, almost see it? I didn’t.. know that could happen?’_

Vaatu hummed, not surprised that such knowledge had been lost; humans didn’t seem inept at keeping the mind open. _‘A useful skill, I’m pleased to see you figured it out on your own.’_ The child seemed proud of himself, he supposed that was just. _‘You should attempt to do this with the fire of others in the future, once you master it. It will be most amusing.’_

 _‘Oh I will, this is going to be my new favorite thing to do.’_ Zuko was not lying even a little; dispersing flames was usually enough to piss some benders off, he couldn’t imagine how they’d feel having it straight up stolen from them.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Three days had passed, largely uneventful sans Zuko's narrow-minded focus on fire theft; which had yet to falter even slightly.

To the point of becoming boring, to Vaatu anyways. Circa two days ago when the child mastered it with basically anything inanimate that was capable of holding flame; torches, candles, the kitchen stove, and just once the coal furnace in the lowest level of the ship. The aftermath of latter had, at least, been very amusing.

As it were having the coal fueled inferno ripped from the furnace resulted in a very startled crewmember (her own fault for sleeping on the job), the ship creaking to a dead stop, a panicked child who decided putting the fire back was a good idea, overpowering the engine and causing the ship to lurch ahead at full speed was... well, hilarious. Assuming you were a spirit or a child hiding in the overhead rafters. Otherwise it was far less entertaining.

It was decided to not fuck around with the ships source of fuel again.

That somehow lead to the genius idea of screwing around with the crew instead; another prospect that was no longer amusing as the crew came to the conclusion the ship was suddenly haunted and no one was firebending anymore.

Somehow that had translated to waiting until evening to attempt to take back fire of one's own creation.

Once the sun fell and there would only be one guard topside, who was usually sleeping; Zuko finally cracked open his door and slunk topside. As expected, a single guard was slumped against a wall, snoring. Because if this was trial and error, he didn't want to explain himself; or out that he was the source of the alleged haunting, as watching everyone slink around was the newest pastime.

_'You... uh, think I can do this?'_

_'Do what child? Sneak around the other humans without their knowledge?'_

_'No!'_ Scoffing, Zuko peeked back towards the lone guard who was still snoring (just in case). ' _Releasing my hold on fire to take its back?'_

Vaatu stirred, seeming to consider what didn't really matter; the child would do it regardless, either with his support or to prove him wrong. Or prove himself wrong and deem this a failure, then proceed to sulk over it for a few weeks. _'If anyone can I'm sure it's you.'_

He was nodding, making a weird face that landed somewhere between resolute and constipation, and took to breathing along with the gentle lulling of the waves (push and pull, push and pull). Focusing only on his breathing, only on his chi (grounded stances and hard movements were for people who had depth perception), he drew an arm back then slammed a fist forward, launching a sizable stream of fire into the night. Shifting focus from the waves to the escaping flame, Zuko willed his chi to seize it, uncurling his fist to an open palm and dragging his hand back towards him in a slow fluid motion. The flame yielded, wavering its path in an arc then returning to his control.

He could have danced with excitement; he started too, until the silence of the night was shattered by an audience he'd been unaware of.

"That is quite impressive nephew." Iroh's voice was soft, but it cracked like thunder; Zuko immediately tensed, the fire he'd been so momentarily proud of puttering out with an overwhelming sense of panic.

Vaatu couldn't stop himself from groaning.

"I, um, sorry it's just—" Words were scrambling again, looking for fake apologies he didn't mean to justify his actions; bracing himself for a burning hand on flesh, a sharp smack of a stick, pain he'd earned for being unable to bend like he was expected to.

Not to mention being caught as the source of the haunting that suddenly plagued the ship; who knew what punishment that'd earn him.

"You're in no trouble Zuko, I'm proud of you for being ingenious with your bending." Iroh stood a few feet back, steaming cup of tea in hand, attempting to be as non-threatening as possible. Knowing being any closer would cause the defenses to rise higher than they already were. "I am sad you felt you couldn't talk to me about alternative methods, but I understand. I merely hope you might be willing to let me help guide you."

"You... you aren't, uh, mad?" He spun around, eyes wide, staring the old man down with disbelief. Part of him wanted the acceptance, wanted to trust, desperately wanted praise, but he felt unable to consider it; it was a trap. Offer support to him now, help help help, then throw it in his face. Use it against him.

Make him suffer for his inability to just bend like normal people.

"Of course not." Iroh offered a smile, albeit a sad one, still refusing to come closer. Even if the fangs weren't shown, the promise of a bite was raging in his nephew's eyes. It didn't matter how passive he was making himself, he'd just cornered an animal bristled for a fight. "It is late, perhaps you should get some sleep and when the sun rises we'll brainstorm?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed, suspicious, but he gave a single nod anyways. "Okay. Sure." His eyes never lingered from his uncle, but he moved to skitter towards the stairs. He knew damn well if he tried to stay above deck there'd be no solitude. Instead just tea and metaphors he didn't understand, some hidden malice in a game he didn't know the rules of. "Night uncle."

"Goodnight Zuko."

Iroh watched him disappear below deck with a heavy heart. Would the boy ever trust him again? He sipped his tea, sullen but not yet willing to give up. He'd never be willing to give up, not again. Never give up without a fight, after all.

If he could just, help perhaps... perhaps he wouldn't constantly feel the burden of his missteps. He wasn't sure he deserved the trust, deserved to be forgiven, but this wasn't really about him and his wants; if he could just help guide Zuko through the darkness, perhaps that'd be enough.

Perhaps in his own time, in his own way, he'd forgive an old man for his mistakes.

Then he could make things right.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Zuko was gone.

Zuko was gone, and Iroh was about to lose his ever loving shit.

The crew was appearing indifferent about the situation but they were collectively worried about the boy, the old man (a side note), and themselves; if the boy died, the man would go off the deep end, and the wolf-batshit Fire Lord would burn them all like it was their damn fault this happened.

Iroh was not concerned about the crew right now. He was concerned about the nephew who had been here last night and was now gone.

In hindsight, he should have been more attentive.

It'd been four months. Four whole months since the last time a location had been given to travel to. It was known, but never stated, the search for the Avatar had been tossed overboard. They got around, they docked at ports, letters about dubious searches had been sent to the Fire Lord, but no effort was put into it. Not even a pretend effort. The crew unspokenly knew that plans were a ruse when they first pulled away from Caldera; they were hunting the Avatar in theory only.

The old man had even, indirectly, told the crew they could slip away from any port, and no one would be sent to find them.

They hadn't anywhere to go, most discharged (or a strike away from it) for various degrees of dubious offenses. Home was a fantasy they couldn't hope for, so a cozy job traveling the seas with little direction was as good as it'd get. Was, had been, anyways.

Now the boy was missing, and the old man was panicking.

Everything had been going well. Too well. Everyone should have been suspicious.

The yelling and snarling had tapered down when the boy had been on deck, and the only concern was the creative use of fire that kept many on edge. One minute he'd be locked away in his quarters, the next he'd be jumping from some ledge and holding a terrifyingly condensed flame next to their face telling them to stop fucking off, before disappearing again.

Startling, but less so when he lurked in the shadows and took possession of someone's fire. The never knowing when it'd happen or where the flame would be directed made many long for the days he couldn't bend at all. Simpler times and all.

Then out of nowhere, one sunny morning, they'd been told to set the course for the northern air temple.

Their only thought at the time was the cozy job was over and apparently they were going to start hunting the missing Avatar with earnest.

Apparently, the fourteen year old (and a half, almost, he'd yell) had something else in mind. That something else being his greatest disappearing act yet. A disappearing act that had forced many of them to climb their asses to a ledge at the top of a mountain.

No one appreciated the climb.

They didn't get paid enough for climbing mountains.

"And, you say he's just... gone, Sir?" Jee grimaced, glancing around what was left of the campsite. A firepit that was reacting to the old mans heavy breathing quite impressively, a single bedroll, and a single satchel. A teapot, always a teapot. There was nothing there to suggest a second person had even been there.

"That is precisely what I'm saying Lieutenant. Gone. No trace." Iroh was pacing, a cold cup of tea long forgotten in hand (it was there for moral support). "I checked his quarters just in case, most of the scrolls are gone and otherwise no trace of him there either. He's just, gone."

"Gone." Jee iguana parroted.

"That's what I said, gone! I was concerned he, he may have fell but his belongings are missing and I found no indication of where he went." Jee glanced at the other three crewmembers who'd been coerced into becoming a search party, shrugging.

"So, what is the plan Sir?" Jee wasn't sure what the hell they were supposed to do, jump off the cliff and try and find a body? He didn't hate the kid but dying for him wasn't high on the to-do list.

"Plan?" Iroh whipped around to stare, looking like someone had slapped him in the face. He... he had no idea. Was panicking a plan? "We, we have to try and find him."

"Yes, I gathered but... how?" Jee gave a wincing glance at the edge of the cliff.

Iroh didn't have an answer. The crew had no suggestion past going back to the boat and waiting. Kids were stupid, this kid was known for being spectacularly stupid; maybe he'd just get bored and wander back?

That idea was not suggested because the old man was losing his shit and every last one of them knew the 'Dragon of the West' could rear it's head at any moment and there were far more merciful ways to die. Like jumping off a cliff!.

How convenient, there just so happened to be an abundance of cliffs right here!

"We, we should look around. See if he's just relocated in a secluded area. Or—" Iroh's panic was joined with sorrow, not wanting to acknowledge the possibility, "—Or look for signs of him falling."

"Of course, Sir. We'll... do everything we can to help." Jee tried to sound sure, sound unconcerned; like that couldn't possibly have happened.

Knowing the boy in question, there was an endless number of possibilities that could have happened. Falling, jumping, saw something and ran off, had a breakdown and got lost, got lost in general and was too proud to yell for help, made a deal with a spirit and lost his mortal body, shit. Jee could go on, but he chose not to. He also chose to mention none of these verbally, less he find himself engulfed in flames.

Instead he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

It was going to be a fabulously shitty day.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

It had been time to leave.

Zuko had felt it, and Vaatu had agreed.

As soon as his fire had fully recovered, as soon as he stopped flinching every time it was thrown at him, they'd started discussing their next step.

It wasn't that he hated his uncle, really. The man had been supportive, as outwardly unjudgemental as anyone could be, and he'd tried to help. He had. Zuko's fire was back and stronger than it had been prior to the banishment, but there was no way he could advance with the gifts Vaatu had given him while staying alongside uncle.

What a shitshow that would have been.

Hey uncle thanks for the help, by the way did you know the only reason I didn't die was because I fused my spirit with Vaatu? Ever heard of him? Yeah the great spirit of darkness and chaos, the bringer of balance to Raava and her Avatar? Oh, by the way I'm the second Avatar now. Cool right?

Right. Over his dead body was THAT conversation going to happen.

So, they'd planned. Or, Vaatu mostly laid out the plan he'd already formed and was nice enough to share it while Zuko packed; his mask (fond memories), his swords, every knife he could find, all the coin he could steal, rations, carefully wrapped bundles if scrolls, and more importantly the Earth Kingdom clothes purchased the last time they docked.

It's bad enough he was blatantly of Fire Nation heritage (if capable of lying, he'd claim to be a mix from the colonies) (lying was, sadly, not in his skill set), but to dress in their clothes would be a death wish; even HE wasn't that reckless.

Okay he had been, his first thought had explicitly been to ask why he needed to waste coin on clothes. Then Vaatu had pointedly stated he knew exactly where they needed to go next, which was (unsurprisingly) somewhere in the Earth Kingdom; because where else would he be going? The Poles? Right, duh Zuko.

Which naturally, he was curious (he was always curious) as to where in the Earth Kingdom. Only to be slapped with being forced to wait. Some hippo-bullshit about 'if I told you now you'd scream a lot and make a scene and there's other humans around and it's none of their business'; regardless of what it was it definitely wasn't anyone else's business, but being called out like that was NOT appreciated. Even if it tracked.

It made sense but that didn't mean he had to like it; a sentiment he voiced, more than a few times during the few weeks it took the ship to make it to the northern air temple.

That particular temple was isolated, attached to the Earth Kingdom, and the massive cliffs and rugged terrain offered the best chance of not being tracked. As in: the massive metal ship wouldn't fit in the river, the komodo rhinos were too obvious to use, and most of the crew would be far too lazy to try and follow on foot because their skiffs floating some military officials down a river would not go unnoticed.

It'd never be said, but Vaatu was really good at planning; Zuko would never say it because he was an ass.

Just like Vaatu would never say how impressed he was at Zuko's efficacious way of disappearing without a trace.

The fact he was able to scale the mountain with his pack, board the ship (twice) to relocate the bending scrolls somewhere he could get them later, then slip away in the night without being noticed by anyone was fulgurant. Especially when the crew had all decided to stay on the ship because they weren't needed and they didn't get paid to climb.

The only thing he'd ever give Azula was the thanks for forcing him to become extremely stealthy. Fear of pain had always been a terrifying motivator. A fact Zuko was glad he didn't have to explain to anyone.

His disappearance had been two days ago.

Two days spent traveling at night, and napping in trees during the day. No flames had been seen, no voices heard. It was safe to assume being found, by the crew or his Uncle, was low risk.

It was daylight now, and from the safety of a large branch in a high tree, Zuko felt inclined to press his luck instead of trying to sleep.

_'So, can you tell me where we're going now?'_

_'Yes, but you will want to be on solid ground for this conversation.'_

_'Why?'_ His nose crinkled, smirk on his lips. _'Afraid I'll fall?'_

_'Yes.' A pause, 'Fall, or set the tree ablaze... knowing you both, simultaneously.'_

Zuko scowled, crossing his arms. _'Your lack of confidence in me is offensive.'_

_'I have much confidence in you, to do exactly what I said you'd do. I will tell you when you're grounded.'_

He made no effort to budge. Vaatu fell silent, unrelenting despite the fair amount of cussing and goading he was given.

 _'Fine. Whatever. This is stupid.'_ The standoff had lasted no more than ten minutes; the spirit had enough patience to last several human lifetimes, the boy had yet to experience a moment of patience in his life. Zuko finally gave in to curiosity, moving from branch to branch, muttering obscenities as he went, until finally crashing to the ground with the grace of an iguana seal on land. _'Don't...'_ a half threat offered while staggering to his feet.

 _'I said nothing child.'_ Vaatu laughed, instead, which was somehow more insulting than not saying anything. _'Our next destination is the city once called Taku, where we'll find your human cousin waiting.'_

"WHAT?!" The inside words flew out before they could be stopped, both hands bursting into flames. Flames which happened to catch the bark of a tree on fire, startling him enough to stumble backwards and fall on his ass.

Vaatu chose to stifle a laugh, and not say I told you so. Barely.

A fact Zuko greatly appreciated, but made no mention of (this NEVER happened) as hands flailed to disperse the fire. ' _That's impossible my cousin is... he's dead.'_ He was thankful the words hadn't left his mouth as he knew his voice would have cracked.

_'I assure, despite what you were lead to believe the human Lu Ten is very much alive and will be waiting for us in that city.'_

_'But... but, how. Why?'_ He couldn't finish the sentence. He couldn't even think about the rest of the sentence. He was also not crying like a baby, some dirt had just gotten in his eyes when he very gracefully sat down a minute ago, okay. He was NOT crying.

_'It saddens me to say you can accurately guess the reason, child.'_

_'It, um...'_ Zuko curled within himself; knees to his chest, arms around his knees, face burried in his arms. _'He. He still left me behind, though.'_ A hard truth he was tired of reliving; Family he thought he could trust abandoning him, only this time it was harder.

If Lu Ten was alive, but didn't return to the palace, that meant he hadn't been safe either. Lu Ten ALWAYS promised he'd come back, and he hadn't. Which meant he couldn't. If he had, he'd have died trying to help, and that somehow hurt more than just being left behind.

_'Did... do you know if.. if uncle knows?'_

_'I am to understand he does not.'_

_'If he was grieving and we were told Lu Ten died, then how. How can you KNOW he's... he's, alive?'_

To that the spirit chuckled. While he didn't appreciate being the target of mistrust, he did enjoy the child's tenacity of questioning absolutely everything. Far more enjoyable than the self-deprecating thoughts that had plagued the young mind for most of his life. _'I know because Agni informed me of his obsession with meddling in the lives of young fire nation Princes.'_

Zuko's head popped up at that, both of them ignoring the puffy red eyes that had not been crying. _'Agni said that?'_

More or less. Agni said a lot of things, most having little relevance to anything. _'Yes. He reached out once to warn your human cousin, and once again to tell him to move and wait for you.'_

_'But how do w—'_

_'Zuko.'_

_'Okay, okay. Stop questioning you oh mighty great angry rug.'_

_'Do not call me that.'_

_'Fine, Dad.'_

_'DO NOT CALL ME THAT EITHER!!'_ Vaatu boomed, reconsidering the idea of ending this vessel's life and trying again. More so as the little shit snickered at him. _'I will ground you vessel, do not tempt me.'_

 _'Psh.'_ Zuko waved a dismissive hand, grinning with all teeth and no bite. _'Gonna put me in a deep sleep like Raava did? Unlikely.'_

Unlikely, but extremely tempting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, hope you enjoy?
> 
> This was a fun one for me, because I'll die on the hill of "Zuko is a sassy little shit and has been since birth". Next time, we'll learn exactly where he got it from (: (: (:
> 
> Side note, in case it wasn't obvious (I tried to point it out, but I try to do to a lot of things, so here we are) there's a time jump in here becausee see my original note of not feeling inclined to write a year of screaming on a boat. Maybe I'll regret that at some point, but that's a problem for future me, not today me.
> 
> Anyways thanks and let us rejoice this year is almost dead. Less we all need (another) yearlong scream.


	4. Of Meddling Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Lu Ten's life changes drastically, and once the changes start coming they don't stop coming. Usually due to the interference of spirits, or more specifically Agni. 
> 
> The most conflicting part of it, is the asshole sun spirit hasn't been wrong yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter might seem wonky regarding a timeline but I wanted to address Lu Ten's backstory, when he learned his family went to glorious shit, and up to our present day. I did make notes of time passing throughout but in case it doesn't make sense I'll drop a little explanation at the end. 
> 
> Because adhd + the passage of time = error file not found

Listen, not everyone gave a wolf-batshit about the spirits.

It was a bunch of unfounded stories to give false hope to the weak or to scare children into staying indoors at night.

Lu Ten had always considered himself to be a man of science and substantiated, tangible, facts. Sure his Father had always told him silly spirit stories, implored him to consider the possibilities, but at the end of the day it was all absurd fables with no rational probability to support it.

He'd spent the bulk of his life with no regard to spirit stories; at best pretending for his little cousin’s amusement, since the boy had always been… a fan of theatrics. That was, before he'd been forced to reconsider absolutely everything he thought he knew. Forcefully. Against his will, and very reluctantly at that.

It had gone something like this.

He'd joined the Army, just like his father had, and had gone off to war to both learn and conquer because that was the expectation and one did not shy away from what the Fire Lord expected of you. Better to die in battle than be outcast for weakness and shame. Sucked, but who said being royalty was easy right?

Right.

So that's what he'd done. It sucked. War was horrible, killing was haunting, and the battlefield somehow left more mental scars than physical. It did, in gravity, leave an excess of mental scars.

It had been a late night and he'd been drinking, because sometimes that's the only thing that numbed the agony and made the screaming stop, while reviewing last minute plans that'd been brought to him hours past sunset. The plans were dubious, and promised a high fatality rate, but they weren't the type open for negotiation; more like this is what you're going to do, no questions asked.

He got it, in concept, but reading over the death sentence for his entire squadron wasn’t giving him the warm and fuzzies.

In fact, it brought a deep hollowing feeling when one reads ‘Orders by Prince Ozai, Endorsed by Fire Lord Azulon’ and stamped with the royal seal.

Sure, Lu Ten knew well enough his uncle was borderline fratricidal but even this seemed a bit excessive.

Premeditated, one might say.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, that part was vague, but one minute he's got a glass in hand reading how his last minutes alive were going to be spent and the next he's sitting on a small mountain peak with the entire sky a blazing inferno.

He hadn't recalled taking anything that could be considered a hallucinate, because frankly he didn't have time for that and he really didn't have time for whatever... this was.

Apparently, the sunshine didn't give a shit about what he had time for.

"Hello Lu Ten."

What in the actual fuck was happening... "What." Less of a questioning word, more the only word that his mouth had to offer.

"Sorry to pluck you so suddenly from your—" Something was talking; the burning sky, the sun, maybe the visual representation of his fractured mind? Whatever it was it cleared its throat, that it definitely wasn't capable of having, "—Work, but this is most pressing and I didn’t have time to wait for you to slumber."

"I don't think I'll ever sleep again. What the fuck is going on?" 

Apparently, that wasn't the right answer. The sky apparently didn't appreciate sass.

(The sky should have thought about that before bothering him.)

In a flash, the warm sunny sky receded within itself; leaving behind an oddly dark and starless sky as the burning inferno twisted into an imposing, hovering, form of some kind of... dragon? Because, that made sense (no, it didn't)?

"Perhaps this form shall be less overwhelming for the human psyche."

Great, the sky hallucination of his broken mind was an asshole too. "Sure. The sun in the shape of a dragon is an improvement, no complaints here." Lu Ten had many complaints, not to mention some thoughts, perhaps even an opinion or two if he were being honest.

"Fantastic my young one. As I said earlier—"

"So, who exactly are you?" Let it be known, keeping his mouth shut was not something he excelled at. He should, assuming he survived whatever this was, work on that.

The sky fire dragon thing would agree with that, judging from the way it erupted in more flames that shifted from happy warm sunshine to violent near-black red. 

"What are you like, Agni incarnate?"

The flames receded. Slightly.

"Fuck. Uhh, I mean… fuck.” Lu Ten snapped his mouth shut, just in case this wasn't some bad trip.

"Now, where was I... Ah, yes. I brought you here young one as your life is about to be cut short due to an unpleasant scheme that I don’t much appreciate. Customarily we spirits do not interfere in the petty ploys of humans, however your life has far greater meaning than yet another stain in the name of bloodlust."

"Soo what… you're going to stop it or something?"

"No. I'm here to tell you the orders you were indeed concocted with the intent of your demise. If you wish to survive, you must plan to escape while letting others trust you perished."

"Uhh, okay?" Lu Ten squinted, that was about the most unhelpful helpful advice he'd ever been given. Saying something, as once his father tried to give him flirting advice that involved pai sho strategies and seep times for herbal teas. "I mean, thanks? Thank you, Agni. I will, figure something out?"

"I'm quite sure you will." The spirit, and the scene around him, started to fade; pushing his spirit back into his body. "Oh, and word of advice young one.” Agni’s voice was fading, as the link between the two worlds grew farther. “Next time, do attempt to be more receptive to spirits and their words of wisdom."

With that, he received a hard jolt; throwing his actual body off-balance and toppling the chair backwards with a hard thud against the ground.

Needless to say he'd learned a few things that night: spirits were maybe not actually mythos, if they did exist then they were assholes, and his uncle was a colossal asshole who wanted him dead. If this all turned out to be true then he had a lot of things to think about.

Obviously the orders had come from Prince Ozai, but maybe there was a bigger picture he just didn’t know about.

What Lu Ten did know, was he needed to fake his own death and desert.

Mostly because he didn't really want to die, partially because if he did there was a chance Agni would drag him into the spirit realm and he'd be hearing about this for all of eternity.

He'd rather not hear about his death, for all eternity. 

Dying would, without question, be bad enough.

But the plans given were unavoidable. If he'd attempted to change them, or refuse, they'd all be murdered as traitors to the crown. His only option was the obvious one; fake his death and flee. So in a panicked rush he'd swapped uniforms with a lesser ranked solider, telling them it was part of the plan, then dressed himself in neutral clothes that didn't scream Fire Nation army, and took off running in the middle of the night; taking only what he could shove in his pockets. You know, like a coward.

Lu Ten ran far enough to probably (hopefully) not die, but close enough to observe the events play out from a nearby cliffside; because, he had to. He didn't want to, didn’t want to see it, didn’t want it to be true, but he had to know if… if, that had been spirit meddling or an overactive imagination fueled by stress and sleep deprivation.

He was guilty about asking someone to wear his uniform, then running away like a fucking gutless traitor, but if the crazy fire spirit was being truthful... he needed a dead body in his uniform.

There was, in the end, a dead body in his uniform.

They were all, dead bodies. It was an absolute massacre and honestly, by the time the destruction was done the uniforms really didn't matter. Nothing was recognizable other than mangled flesh in sacks of uniforms; for those who weren't missing entirely, for those not pulled down into the ground to die slowly but equally painful. 

Which left Lu Ten with this: for whatever reason his uncle wanted him dead, because of that returning to Caldera was not going to happen, actually returning to the fire nation at all was not going to happen, and he needed to disappear into the earth kingdom.

One day he'd figure out how to return home and murder his uncle. That was not today. Maybe when his father took the throne; he could plead his case, talk about spirits and pai sho, drop some metaphors, and return home.

Probably.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Turns out, he'd never be going home. Home was the new fictional story that didn’t actually exist.

A cute little spirit tale that meant nothing.

That little delusion had lasted a whole year and a half before the rumors started creeping their way out of the Fire Nation and into the trade routes of the Earth Kingdom.

As the rumors went, his uncle was apparently off his rocks and was on a streak for killing as many relatives as he possibly could. First himself (allegedly), then Fire Lord Azulon, then his aunt went missing (which meant dead), then apparently his baby cousin was almost killed in an so-called training accident and tossed aboard a ship where he probably also died. Father was also on the ship, which meant he might be dead or he might be keeping an eye on him for Ozai; either way.

Fun stuff. Good times in Caldera.

Not really.

Training accident? Not fucking likely. Maybe people in the Earth Kingdom bought that, but as a firebender of royal lineage? Naw.

He knew firsthand how hard it was to burn a firebender. It took a lot of intense fire for a long period of time to cause actual scarring, and if the wound was as bad as the rumor mills said it was? Yeah it was very deliberate, intended to kill, and there were only three people who could have done that and not suffered for it. The last three surviving members of his family: his own father, his uncle, or his sadistic niece. His bet was on Ozai.

Sure his father was capable, he was a war General and the Dragon of the West, but he was also on the ship with the boy; if he'd done it, Zuko would be smart enough to literally jump ship. Azula was definitely her father’s daughter but could an eleven year old really do that?

Naw, it was Ozai. Fire Lord, Ozai.

So going anywhere near the Fire Nation was no longer an option. He'd pretend to be a non-bending mixed-race guy who escaped the colonies for however long the Earth Kingdom survived, and hope for the best.

It was a great plan. It'd already worked for a year, what's a few more years? Perhaps a lifetime.

A lifetime was roughly a few months, turns out, according to spirit time frames; a few-months-lifetime since graced with rumor knowledge. Until one unsuspecting evening while he was trying to sleep, and the awesome fun time sun spirit decided Lu Ten's little plan wasn't up to snuff and it was yet again time to shake things up. 

"Hello Lu Ten!" The chipper embodiment of fire beamed down at him; like this was just a casual meeting between friends. "Glad to see you decided to survive!" 

"Yeah, it's been... great. Living the dream?" Lu Ten wanted to run his mouth, but after last time decided he'd just scream about it when he woke up. 

"Glad to hear you’re enjoying your stay in the Earth Kingdom. I come with great news!" 

Somehow, he doubted that. He tried (tried) to smile instead; Agni didn’t acknowledge whatever weird thing his face was doing instead of smiling, it must be close enough. "Oh yeah?" 

"Indeed!" The figure drew closer, not necessarily to be intimidating but equally not not being intimidating either. "Your cousin is in dire need of your assistance!" 

"Zuko?" Suddenly, for the first time out of the two life shattering encounters with anything spirity, Lu Ten's attention was present and being a smartass wasn't his highest priority. In fact, a whole ass new level of panic was his only priority.

"The very one, yes! He's currently safe but as humans love to gossip as much as we spirits, I imagine you already know he's been through some… things. A fair amount more than I'm allowed to address." 

Why was this shit always ambiguous? 

Like they could pry enough to drag your ass to their realm and speak in conundrums but the second it comes to vital information it was suddenly hush hush. "Okay so for unknown reasons he needs my help, any chance you're going to give me direction or is that top secret too?" 

It hadn't been, but, in that moment, Agni considered making it top secret. He considered it long enough to cast doubt, but ultimately the great spirit would probably be quite pissed if pettiness cost him his vessel's life. One did not simply take-back part of an offer from a spirit, less a great spirit, even he wasn’t that petty. "You need to travel to the human city once called Taku, seek a white cat to befriend. Once accomplished, you simply need to wait until he comes to you." 

"A cat..." 

"A white cat!" 

"A… white cat." Lu Ten looked, done. He didn't know what he expected but somehow, he wasn't surprised. "Like, a catowl, or a crococat?" 

"Nope. A white cat, rather fluffy actually." The spirit chuckled, as if that was just the most detailed explanation ever given. "She will hate you, so best to plan ahead." 

"Uhh, sure. Okay?" 

"Great! Best of luck!" 

Lu Ten shot up with a gasp, in his own body again, breathing heavy; back in his shitty little box apartment, in his lumpy bed. "I fucking hate spirits." Groaning, rubbing hands across his face, he couldn't believe this shit. 

Well he could believe it, which kinda made it worse?

"I don't even know where Taku is." Scowling at the wall, his only real thought was being far too tired to deal with this. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Turned out, Taku was nowhere near the small forest town he'd ended up in. Well, it could have been. If he had a lot of coin, or a boat, or even an ostrich horse. He had some coins, zero boats, and zero animals let alone ones capable of transport, so the travel had pretty much been terrible. Not as bad as war had been, but still high on the list of shit he didn't enjoy doing. 

Spirit quests, more enjoyable than war but less than just about anything else. 

When he'd finally, finally, made it to the damn city... it was, pathetic. Outwardly, the only thing nearby was a Fire Nation stronghold (of course), and some abandoned building at the top of a mountain. The only animals he'd seen thus far had been some frogs, which he knew this potentially fictitious cat probably wouldn't appreciate. 

So everything was great. Perfect!

Only not so much. 

After wandering around for a while, finding zero cats or zero people, he'd promptly left again. He'd come back (probably), but he was hungry and there wasn't shit here. So, he left to travel back to the nearby river, and wasted half a day fishing; fishing, cussing internally, and casually contemplating the life choices that brought him here.

Lu Ten was glad, if nothing else, he'd gotten a crash course in impromptu cooking during his enlistment. It’d offered just enough of a skill to fake it as a cook in the last little town he was in. After much belittling, and many days of unplanned coal creation, he was successfully able to fake the art of cooking. Or at least, making something edible. 

Sure, the fish were a bit boney, but they were flame broiled to perfection and he had enough fish jerky to last a while. Hopefully he wouldn't be stuck waiting in Taku for long but considering optimism had been destroyed about half a year ago, this was strategic not cynicism. 

By planning ahead for worst case scenario, he'd accidentally planned ahead correctly and he was certain the smug ass spirit would be ecstatic about it. Like a smug asshole. 

For the first time in forever (which was roughly a year and nine months, more or less since his uncle tried to have him killed. Not that he was counting or anything) something had actually worked in his favor, and if given the opportunity Agni would probably take credit for it (like a smug asshole).

Lu Ten had made it back to the (seemingly) abandoned city just as the sun had started to set. Made it back to his utter awareness of having absolutely no idea what he was doing; neither in general or more specifically no idea what he was doing... here. 

Agni, or some horribly detailed version of Agni his brain had concocted for some unfathomable reason (the jury was out still), had come to him in a vivid nightmare instructing him to drop everything and run because at some point his little cousin would just show up here needing his help. Also he had to somehow earn the trust of a cat. A white cat, specifically, with no further exploration of rhyme or reason. 

And he'd just went along with it. Like this was just, a normal thing that happened to people. 

So he sat, leaning against a tree, spacing out for long enough for the sun to finish setting. What was he thinking? Why the fuck was he here? 

_"Mrow."_

Lu Ten blinked. What was that; squinting into the dark, he saw exactly… nothing. Fire would probably help, but he was not sulking, he was just too lazy to build a fire and lighting up a hand was typically ill-advised in the Earth Kingdom. It wasn’t like it was cold, and it wasn’t like there was anything to see worth the effort.

 _"Mrrow."_

Fuck, there it was again. This time, it accompanied the distinct sound of a pack being rummaged in. Eyes snapping to his possessions, his brain decided to go ahead and abandon him with an utter lack of function. 

His sack that was now open, and on its side, with half an animal sticking out. A white animal. With a long fluffy tail, that eventually (when it decided to work properly) his mind suggested might belong to a cat. 

"What in the actual fuck..." Lu Ten barked, probably louder than he should have (what a way to find out if a city was really abandoned or not). The animal in question apparently took offense, shuffling out of the bag just enough to glare at him.

The damn thing was rooting around in his bag, and it had the audacity to glare at him. It was also, undeniably a cat. "Excuse you." 

It offered a half-ass excuse for a feline grunt, still glaring, before going right back to doing whatever it felt like; which was apparently raiding his shit.

"That's rude you know." Why was he talking to a cat? Logically, he had no idea. Zero thoughts. There was nothing else to talk to, so at least he didn't have to feel bad about his slipping sanity being seen by others. 

"Are you—" Grunting, his hands snapped to the backend of the thief, dragging it out of the bag enough to confirm the cat was in fact stuffing its face with his fish jerky. Or it was, until the jerky was dropped and the little shit hissed at him.

The cat was rummaging through his belongings, eating his food, and it hissed. At him. 

"I can't believe this!?" Lu Ten was officially done. Done. Letting go of the cat, the stupid white cat, he tossed his hands in the air. "Whatever, I hope you eat it all and get sick." 

"Do not tempt her young man." 

Lu Ten did not scream, okay. It was a very normal reactionary noise to having the shit scared out of you when you thought you were alone and suddenly someone was talking. Was it the cat? Was it a different cat, a spirit? 

The voice was now laughing at him, because of course it was. 

"Apologizes young man, I didn't mean to frighten you." 

He was absolutely, mostly, not frightened. He was however, glad that the voice didn't belong to a cat or some vengeful spirit; instead it belonged to some older lady who was standing a few yards away in the clearing. 

"I wasn't, really." He was lying, but at least his voice didn't betray him. "Is, that your cat?" 

"One could say that, though—" She trailed, watching with amusement as the cat peeked it's head from the bag it now considered to be of her possession; offering a curt noise before snagging yet another piece of jerky and meandering towards the man she was stealing from. "—Miyuki would suggest she is her own cat, more so than mine." 

Sure why not, that made as much sense as anything else was.

Lu Ten gave the cat a look of judgement; even more so when it decided his lap was a dinner table and just climbed on in to finish eating his food. 

"She appears to like you." The woman gave him a stern once over, like this somehow mattered. 

Wait. 

Oh. 

"Huh." Was the only poor excuse for a word his brain offered. 

"Well, come along then." 

"Huh?" He was on a roll tonight, with the words.

The woman said nothing else, just gesturing with a nod to follow, before slowly walking off. 

Apparently this was his life now, but he was now officially too done to question anything else. Might as well, what's the worst that could happen right? Grunting, the cat was attempted to be moved so he could stand which was promptly met with a gargled hiss. Cool cool. 

Lu Ten wrapped an arm around the cat, grabbing his sack and following the woman. The cat was apparently fine with this, or fine enough to not hiss and attempt to mutilate him. 

"What should I call you young man?" The woman asked as soon as he caught up and fell in step behind her; not bothering to turn around, which was kinda weird considering the whole… he was clearly Fire Nation and there was a war going on and all.

He should lie. He really should lie. He'd been lying about his name thus far and this situation wouldn't be any different; Fire Nation, potential bender, in enemy territory. Yet something told him, some unwanted buzzing feeling in his chest, there was no point. "Uh, Lu Ten." 

"I see." No reaction, as far as he could tell. No pause, no stumble, no questioning look while glancing over her shoulder. "You already know her name, and you may simply call me Herbalist." 

"Herbalist." Obviously, not a name. Perhaps he was stupid to just offer his name up when she didn't even bother giving him a fake one. 

"That is correct." 

Then there was nothing but silence. 

Him following the lady, Herbalist, up a winding mountain trail towards a seemingly abandoned building, while he carried some white cat like she was the heir to a throne or something. 

Spirits above, maybe she was. Who knew, sure wasn’t him.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Apparently, Lu Ten had gotten himself into being Herbalist's apprentice for roughly three months. 

Which had the side gig of wandering off from time to time to catch fish. Mostly (exclusively) for the cat. Who decided the only thing she really wanted to eat anymore was fish jerky. At least the factory had a stone oven to smoke it in, and the topic of how he'd been camping and somehow had a pack full of local fish turned jerky in his possession had never come up. 

Herbalist knew, but she equally knew the young man was here for a reason and bringing attention to that fact nor the one where he was a firebender would do little good at keeping him here. 

She knew the spirits well enough to know he needed to be here for a reason and if spooked he'd run. The spirits would be displeased and then she'd have to listen to their yammering. Plus, Miyuki was enjoying the fish and she herself was enjoying teaching someone remedies, so it wasn't exactly burdensome. It was temporary besides, and having a young man hiding his fire wasn't the big deal. 

If he became a fire hazard, she had more than a few tricks that'd take care of him. 

As it were, the temporary lasted a few days shy of three months, when a knock echoed through the factory. She was in the middle of grinding but didn't bother to stop; didn't bother to glance up. The visitor wasn’t there for her. "That would be for you." 

Lu Ten just squinted at her, hands full of random herbs she'd been having him pull from the shelves. "What is?" 

"The door. Just put those on the table, your work here is done." 

He wanted to question her, but at this point there... was no point. A random knock on the door was apparently for him, and his work was now done. Sure, whatever. The herbs were abandoned before making his way through the factory towards the front door; no idea what to expect but bracing himself for the worst. Perhaps army soldiers (didn't matter which army, either would be bad), perhaps someone dying and in need of help. 

Who was at the door, as he swung it open, was both better and worse than any army could possibly be. 

"Zuko??" Lu Ten whispered out, body freezing and mind reeling in an attempt to rationalize. Agni speaking to him had, for a second time, actually happened. That alone was hard to absorb; the fucking sun spirit, Agni, had reached out to him, Lu Ten, and twice now everything that was said was true. 

His uncle slaughtered an entire troop explicitly to kill him, he had to travel to Taku (and befriend a white cat) to wait for his cousin, his baby cousin who was now here. Exactly like Agni, fucking AGNI, had said. 

That was a lot, but also his cousin was here. Zuko, was here, and he looked like he'd been through it. 

Older than he remembered (memories, funny things), his hair shoulder length (no topknot, not long enough for a royal one), and the scar; fuck, the scar. His throat felt like it was a desert, and his fire threatened to consume him with pure unbridled rage. Obviously the rumors he’d heard ranged from ‘nothing more than a facial blemish’ to ‘his entire face was burnt off’, but to see a burn that took up almost half his face was… he hadn’t been ready; hadn’t been ready to see it, and was not prepared to think about the distinctive shape of it. If he did, he might realize what caused it, then he’d have to make a little trip to Caldera to have a little chat with his uncle.

You know, a casual chat, as friends. Not for murder related reasons, naw.

"Lu Ten..." Zuko was, dazed. He'd managed to rasp the name out, then his mind retreated off to its usual hiding place far far away from the present; simultaneously both a million and zero thoughts whirling through his mind. His body forgotten, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

It was Lu Ten. He looked different, probably, the memories were a bit fuzzy and his hair was in a low ponytail, in Earth Kingdom colors, but the face was familiar. The face was known.

Lu Ten was alive. He was here. Right where Vaatu assured he'd be, waiting. For him. Here.

Why didn't he come back? Why didn't he write, did Lu Ten hate him? Just because he's here like he was supposed to be, was this a terrible mistake? Was, was he going to get thrown in chains and returned to the Fire Lord? Should he run? Was this a trap? 

He should run.

_'Don't.'_

"What?" He wasn't present enough to remember thoughts versus speech; had no idea where the words went but knew the spirit would hear them regardless. Zuko couldn't hear his cousins 'what' questioned back to him, only the vague registering of mouth movement.

He should, run.

_'Zuko, do not run.'_

"Oh. Okay."

Lu Ten wasn't sure what was happening, but it didn't appear to be going so well. His cousin's eyes were unfocused, his body seemed so tense it was frozen, and he seemed to be muttering to himself? "Zuko, are you okay?" He held his hands up to signal he wasn't a threat; he’d seen enough shit in the war to know when not to touch someone, even if you wanted to. 

He really wanted to. 

Lu Ten really, really, wanted to latch onto his little cousin and never let go.

_'He's asking you a question child, bring yourself back.'_

Who was doing what? Zuko's body started to wobble, threatening to give out on him. He suddenly was really tired, unsure why; a fleeting thought as his mind crept back to his body.

"Zuko... can you hear me?"

 _'Yeah.._ ' No, wait. Those were outside words? His head shook, eyes clamped for a second before opening and trying to shake the lingering haze of returning to reality; the grounding part, feeling again, was always hard (the not immediately floating off again part, was the hardest). "Yeah. I, uh, I can hear you.”

"Okay, good. Good. Can you, walk? Can you, follow me?" Lu Ten felt fear for the first time, since that night in his tent. Fear, and complete and suffocating helplessness. 

"I, uh..." Breathing heavy, Zuko was grounded again; the wobbling under control, his eyes focused on.... fuck, his cousin. "Yes, I... I'm fine, I'm okay... follow where?"

He couldn't pretend the hesitancy in his cousin’s voice didn't sting, but he kinda deserved that much; he deserved a worse reaction, his mind offered solemnly. "Inside? We'll be safe here, to rest or talk or whatever you want." Whatever you need, he didn't say.

"Okay."

"Okay, cool. Good." Lu Ten tried his best to smile, to be... non-threatening as he possibly could. It still looked sad; he couldn't hide how painfully he was feeling this. He turned to lead the way inside only pausing to close the door; making a point of not locking it, not a smart idea, but if Zuko was as skittish as he looked, a locked door was a worse idea. 

"So what is this place..."

A casual statement, but one that caused Lu Ten to stumble and jerk his head around all the same. "Huh?" 

Zuko raised his eyebrow; his only eyebrow, noted with a sickening twist in his cousin’s gut. "What?" 

"Uhh... nothing. Nothing." Straightening up, trying to... something, be composed. "It's an abandoned factory, I've been here for a few months." 

"I know." Zuko's head tilted, grinning in a toothy way he'd been told is unnerving. "About you here anyways, just not what here is. What, um, kinda factory?" 

Lu Ten was, dumbfounded, for some unfathomable reason. Like some earthbender had casually whipped lightning in his direction. "No fucking idea, it never occurred to me to ask." 

"Oh." Glancing around more, the place didn't appear to be much of anything anymore. "Guess it doesn't matter then." 

This felt oddly, okay; oddly familiar. It felt like memories from the past when the semi-functional family had vacationed on Ember Island and the two of them had ran off to explore. It was both a welcoming and suffocating feeling. 

Like one of them hadn't been declared dead, and the other... "Hey Zuko?"

"Yeah?" 

"We gotta talk about shit, don't we?”

Zuko's grin fell into a frown, eyes leaving the crumbling architecture to meet his cousins; gold verses gold, both hiding trauma behind flickering embers of resolve. "Yeah, I guess we do. You wanna, um, go... first?"

No.

No he did not, but Lu Ten was smart enough to know the question really wasn't a question; it was, but it was a trap question. If he said no, his cousin would bolt and never be seen again. There was a chance that'd happen anyways, but he wasn't ready to risk it. "Sure, sure. First, how do you feel about coffee?"

"What's coffee?"

"It's way better than tea." He'd been unable to stomach tea for quite a while now. Originally because it reminded him of his dad, of simpler times, and the smell of it alone caused an emotional breakdown (or several, before he’d given up on tea). After learning what happened to his cousin, how he knew his dad had been in the city but done nothing, tea got more complicated and thought alone made him want to retch. 

"Fuck tea." Zuko sneered at the thought; never, ever, would he drink tea again. Ever.

To that, Lu Ten grinned. "Couldn't agree more, fuck tea."

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Coffee is amazing!! The best, way better than stupid tea!

Vaatu did not agree. Vaatu had tried desperately to convince his vessel to stop after cup two, but did anyone ever listen to him? No.

His vessel would point out, in vast rambling detail, how he almost ALWAYS listened to what Vaatu told him. That not listening once was not cause for such drama.

Vaatu disagreed entirely. His vessel was bouncing and rummaging, and touching shit, his thoughts were racing and Vaatu did NOT like this overwhelming sensation.

Maybe he'd change his mind later, when extensive training was required and this chaotic energy would be a true blessing. Right now, though, was not the time for excessive energy. The spirit was greatly reconsidering his opinion on trusting this human cousin; the idea of letting Agni know, in painstaking length, his sentiments regarding this idiotic reunion of blood relations was… getting him through this. 

The humans may worship and fear the sun spirit, but Vaatu did not.

"So, what you think?"

"About what?" Zuko had a lot of thoughts, now more than ever, and a lot of opinions; his cousin was gonna have to be WAY more specific.

"Coffee, duh." Maybe this wasn't a good idea, how old was his little cousin again? Maybe he was too young for coffee… naw; never too young for coffee. 

"Coffee is really great, way way, like WAY better than stupid tea. Why do you hate tea? It's probably the same reason I do, I bet." This bean juice was his new favorite thing ever, hopefully it was something they could bring with them. Assuming, you know, they traveled together. Or whatever. He didn't care (Vaatu would add, his vessel cared very much but he was no longer sure if that was due to blood relation or the introduction to coffee).

"Because of my dad." Lu Ten muttered, half shrugging like the concept wasn’t that big of a deal.

(It’d always be a big deal.)

"Oh. Umm, same then. Well, your dad. Not mine." Zuko scowled, staring down the cup of coffee that thus far wasn't associated with anyone bad. Hopefully this, whatever it was, wouldn't result in just another family related disaster.

"Shit." Wincing, this wasn't really going... well, was it? At least the non-coffee related part anyways. "I was supposed to go first. Sorry." Zuko offered a grunt but made no attempt at furthering the conversation. "Okay, okay. So, I guess I'll start with the war? No, yeah you’re not going to want to hear about that. Uh, I guess where I was supposed to die in the war. So I had some kinda vision, I guess, about a last-minute order and how someone allegedly made the plan specifically to have me killed." Lu Ten grimaced at his own words, when he said this aloud it sounded... paranoid, accusatory. How the fuck wo—

"Who was it." Zuko's sharp words cut off his cousin’s train of thought; this was important. This was the part no one would tell him. The part that only Lu Ten could tell him. He knew, he knew, he knew who it was with every fiber of his being, but he needed to hear it. Needed to hear it not lied about, not information denied to him.

"Are yo—"

"Yes. I want to know who executed the orders."

Fuck, what had happened in the past year and whatever? The soft, happy, cousin he remembered had been replaced with someone with the intense stare of a seasoned solider. Guilt. He felt with such intensity, so fucking guilty about not going back. "It was your father, Zuko. He created the orders, and Azulon approved them. It was on the paperwork, and Agni… confirmed the intention.”

"Well, fuck." Zuko's glare softened, glancing downwards with a sudden dread of eye contact. Here was the second trap, would he be lied to by yet another family member? Could he, could he actually trust someone? If Lu Ten lied about this, then there's no way he could full disclosure himself. 

"Yeah." Lu Ten winced, his attention still focused on his little cousin; would he be considered out of his mind for this? For claiming the sun spirit came to him telling him his Uncle was trying to have him killed. Would he lose this too… before it even started? 

"Agni is a prick, isn't he?" He risked a glance, ready to look away but unable as he received some weird look of astonishment and, laughter?

"He sure is, a total asshole! He scared the shit out of me the first time and you know what I did?"

"What?"

"I was a total prick about it because I thought he was a hallucination!"

They both laughed, for longer than was rational. Laughed over the realness of it, the knowing burden they’d be unable to share with others. Laughed just to feel okay, if only for that fleeting point in time. Before leaving these hollow walls and being exposed to the world. 

Wiping some tears from his eyes, Lu Ten sighed. "So I ran away, from the war. Really not a proud moment, less so knowing my men still died. I want you to know, I really thought hard about returning home. If I'd have known what was— was happening, I would have... I need you to believe me."

"When did you, uh... you know. Find out, about stuff?"

"I stayed in the Earth Kingdom after fleeing. Obviously, news from the Fire Nation doesn't exactly get here quickly." He felt worse by the statement, he really should have just gone back. Risked it all. His gaze fell to the coffee cup, it wasn't empty but his stomach was tying itself in knots and the thought of drinking more made his throat clench. "It wasn't until a few months ago I heard about, everything that happened. A few days before our buddy the sun showed up again and told me to come here."

Zuko nodded. He was nodding to his cousin but equally to himself; he didn’t like people knew. Other people, or anyone really. "I believe you." It came out as a whisper, like speaking at full volume would somehow make it more of a reality. 

"How?" Lu Ten didn't know why he was compelled to ask. He should have just accepted it and hoped it was true. Hoped he could make up for it, to do something.

"Because you couldn't have known. If fat—if the Fire Lord saw you he'd have executed you on sight. You'd never have made it to the palace walls, really. He's, bad." His grip around the cup was tightening. Just thinking about them, was hard. Thinking about them—no, no. "They're all bad."

"Zuko, can you... tell me?" Honestly, he didn't want to know. He could guess, he had guessed. A lot. He'd lost a lot of sleep over it, laying in bed, thinking about all the horrible things that must have happened and if him being there would have stopped any of them. Or would he have just made things worse. 

"Yeah. I... I can. I, um, should. You should know, you know?" He fidgeted, legs crossed and gaze downward. Knowing he'd probably break it otherwise, the cup was abandoned on the low table in front of them. "You probably know the easy stuff already. Grandpa is dead, my mom is—dead, or gone.. she's gone. Fat—he's Fire Lord now. Azula's cruel and amazing, but vicious. That's, oh unc—your dad. He left the war after you... well, didn't die I guess, and returned. Anyways that's the, um, easy stuff."

"Yeah... easy." Lu Ten croaked, before swallowing hard; a growing lump in his throat that refused to budge. The easy stuff, right.

"Well, after that all happened I, um, I begged to go to a war meeting for... reasons. They let me attend but I didn't shut up like I was supposed to, and the Fire Lord and some old guy got really mad. I had to, uh, do an agni kai? Everyone watched. Nobody did anything." Zuko sat on his hands, they were starting to shake and watching them made it harder to stay focused. He tried to breathe normally like Vaatu was coaxing him to do; to stay here, mentally, instead of fleeing. If he got it out, let the words out, he wouldn't have to do it again. "The Fire Lord expected me to fight him, you know. I couldn't. Vaa—um, I was told by someone that—that if I had... if I had fought, I'd have been killed. So, it's probably okay I didn't. I almost died anyways."

Not that he was being watched, Lu Ten nodded anyways. He was struggling to breathe, and his hands were starting to shake. He fucking knew it, knew there was no chance it was a training accident. Thinking about that too hard right now, wouldn’t end well.

"So I was dying, in the arena. No one was waiting, to help afterwards, like they all expected me to die. Azula watched. Uncle was there, he didn't stop it... he couldn't even watch it happen though. That's when, um... I uh." Zuko snapped his mouth shut, eyes wide as they flew to his cousin; all thoughts came to a screeching halt.

"Zuko?" Lu Ten looked concerned, but didn't say anything else; give time, don’t push, knowing how fucking hard this had to be but equally not knowing how much worse this could possibly get.

_'Vaatu how, um, much.. should I.. should I stop?'_

_'Child, I believe you must offer honesty. If Agni believes your human cousin will support you and assist in your travels, he must do so knowing the truth. Better to be rejected now, than left later.'_

_'Okay, if you're su—okay.'_

Zuko's nodded, but Lu Ten had no idea to why. His mouth started to open, to ask if he were okay, but his cousins eyes sparked with something he couldn't place; a fire too ruthless for young eyes.

"I blacked out and Agni came to me. He said a buncha stuff I don't really remember, something about blessings maybe? Anyways, he uh... he said, there was another, you know?"

"Another... another spirit?"

"Um, yeah. Another one, a more powerful spirit. That could, save me. From, you know, dying." Zuko was stalling. He knew he was stalling, but he couldn't read his cousins expression and he was scared, okay. He was scared.

"What kinda spirit?" Lu Ten's voice was small. He didn't know what to expect, didn't know why he was suddenly feeling concerned. It wasn't like he knew the names of more than about three spirits, chances are whatever was said would mean nothing.

"A great... ancient, one. Have you ever heard of Vaatu?" His cousin shook his head and Zuko chose to ignore the angry monolog that was starting in his head. "Have you heard of Raava?" Again, his cousin's head shook (thankfully the monolog was cut short with a cackle). "Okay, um, the Avatar"

"The Avatar isn't a spirit buddy, it's a human with spirit powers. Who's also been gone since like, forever."

Zuko grinned, in that creepy toothy sorta way. Like he knew way more than he should about shit he shouldn't know anything about. "Not really. To either."

"What..." Lu Ten's eyes narrowed, searching for a lie when there obviously wasn't one; it was a widely known fact his cousin couldn't lie to save his life. "What're you talking about?"

"Raava is a great spirit who fused with a human and became the Avatar. Vaatu is the balance that was sealed away for like, a really long time because Raava is basically like Azula." He stated, matter-of-factly, mostly for his spirits own amusement (it was welcomed). "Raava's Avatar isn't gone, either, just kinda sleeping sorta."

"Wait, so..." His face fell, and his mind was playing catch up with the information provided. Raava, Raava's Avatar, some spirit name Vaatu was the balance for Raava, but who... who was the spirit that saved Zuko's life? "Zuko are you saying..."

"Yup."

"What the fuck, so..."

"Yup!"

"Well fuck." Lu Ten went through a wave of emotions, and expressions, over the course of a few seconds; grinning, then frowning, looking at the cup he was clutching, putting the cup down before he spilled shit all over himself, glancing at his cousin, then laughing. "Really?"

Zuko nodded, not trusting this place enough to say everything in detail. Walls had eyes, walls had ears, everything could be used against you at any given moment. 

The palace had taught him to fear words spoken freely.

The palace had taught him to fear.

"So, what all. Shit." He suddenly couldn't words, this was a lot. Everything was a lot. Was his cousin saying what he thought he was? How the fuck did that happen, like... what? Lu Ten ran his hands through his hair; fucking up his ponytail but not really caring. "Okay... okay."

"Okay?" Zuko raised his lone eyebrow. Was this what he looked like when he freaked out? Perhaps he should work on that, it wasn't a flattering look. 

"Okay, I have... questions. I think? But I'm tired. We, we should sleep, pack up, then... we'll leave tomorrow." He needed, sleep. The energy from the coffee long gone now, leaving only the crash.

"Yeah, um, sure but... uh, Lu Ten?" He paused, scrunching his nose as his eyes fell just past his cousin. "Who's the cat?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline stuffs:  
> Lu Ten's alleged death = a year before Zuko's agni kai  
> When rumors hit the earth kingdom = six months after the agni kai   
> Their reunion in Taku = nine months after the rumors
> 
> (because age is just as fake as time, at this point, Zuko is a few months shy of fifteen and Lu Ten is ten years older than him.) (idk how old Lu Ten is in canon, but in case no one's noticed I've disregarded most of what canon has to say.)
> 
> Anyways!
> 
> Say hello to our boy Lu Ten, I've really enjoyed the fact he was a blank slate for my own devices! 
> 
> My HC is Zuko had to get his sarcastic opinions from someone; clearly it wasn't Ozai/Azula, Ursa influenced the drama™, Iroh was first a hardened general and then tea/proverbs, so obviously the opinionated sass had to come from Lu Ten.
> 
> Also to be noted, Lu Ten hates tea because drinking it reminded him of his dad. Zuko hates it for the same reason, but far less fondly. I had a lot of fun researching how coffee used to be brewed, not far from tea tbh, and if I wasn't an extremely lazy keurig user I'd have tried it already.


	5. Just Winging It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins, a little bit of crime happens, the ability to lie doesn't apparently run in the family, perhaps some bonding takes place, and sadly no one feels inclined to breech the respectable art of sea shanties.

Miyuki was not a fan of the boy. Or rather, she was not a fan of spirits and she knew the boy had a lot of spirit in him so by association she was not a fan of the boy.

She made this known by following him around giving him her most heated stink-eye; being sure to puff up as much as she could, too, for good measure. 

"The cat doesn't like me." Zuko noted, glaring right back at her. 

"Yeah Miyuki has... opinions." Lu Ten said, not bothering to turn around while rummaging through a cabinet, "Don't worry about it."

Zuko wasn't worried about it, okay, it was just a stupid cat. It did offend him, kinda, because usually he was good with animals. They usually vibed together naturally, but this one was being a real jerk. It was just, annoying. 

No one else seemed to notice, or care, about the cat nor her blatant hostel opinions. All two of them; Lu Ten, who was grabbing coffee related things (yes!!) and other probably useful things that weren't coffee related (ehh), and an old lady who called herself some weird alias but was nice enough to cook breakfast. As a 'thank you' for all the help his cousin had been. 

"I never knew you could be useful." Zuko leaned against a countertop a few feet from the Herbalist, after being swatted away for hovering (he wasn’t, he was just curious), arms crossed and watching as his cousin shoved more and more shit in their bags. 

"Wow, thanks for the confidence buddy." Lu Ten gave him an empty glare, shoving some more stuff in the bag with more force than necessary. "Why am I leaving with you again?"

"Guilt!" Zuko beamed, like a smartass that wasn't entirely wrong with the statement. 

"Right right, guilt. Sounds about right."

"Young man are you planning to eat or just steal everything that isn't nailed down?" The Herbalist gave him a judgy look, with little heat behind it, waving a wooden spoon in Lu Ten's direction like a threat. It was, unquestionably, a threat. 

"Okay, okay, fine." It wasn't like Lu Ten was taking that much, really, plus she had told him to take anything he thought they might need. She was nice. If they managed to end this war, he'd figure out a way to make it up to her; maybe try to expunge Miyuki of her war crimes, for a start. 

"Good, can't save the world without breakfast!" The Herbalist stated with a certainty that she really shouldn't possess, considering the topic had never been mentioned. 

Lu Ten sputtered. Zuko choked on nothing and started wheezing. She just smiled warmly, holding out a bowl and some chopsticks towards the younger scrawny one first, then handing off another bowl to the older slightly less scrawny one, before making a bowl for herself. Nice boys; idiots, the both of them, but nice enough (especially for firebenders). 

"Who... who said, uhh, anything about that?" Zuko stared at her, gawking, wishing for once in his life he could just act like a normal person. 

"You underestimate me child, one must never judge a book by its cover."

 _'That's a fucking metaphor, I fucking hate metaphors!'_ Zuko internally groaned. 

_'At least it's only one, and I suspect your cousin may feel strongly against them. Judging by his contorted face.'_ Vaatu meagerly offered as a condolence;unsure of why exactly this offhanded remark warranted the internal bellyaching. 

Zuko grumbled into his breakfast, picking violently at the rice. It would appear he held a grudge against the food, but his cousin was too busy thinking about anything else he might need to grab to notice, and Herbalist well; she knew as much as Miyuki did and chose to say nothing. No reason to spook the boys further, they had quite a venture ahead of them. 

Miyuki gave Zuko another glare, just because she could. 

(She knew of their task, any spirit worth their grain would know, but one didn't spend decades in a mortal form without falling to the nuances that came with it; in this case, the standard feline judgement.) 

A glare Miyuki kept in place while Zuko helped clean the dishes, drank two cups of coffee, and excitedly rambled about nothing before the two finally gathered their bags and took their leave. 

"I know you think the boy will be corrupted Miyuki, but as someone wanted for war crimes I would think you'd be willing to accept a change of heart can happen."

_"Mrrow."_

"I suppose you're right, we shall see won't we."

Miyuki sniffed, watching as the two descended down the cliffside with a leisure flicking of her tail. 

"I know, I know." The Herbalist sighed, giving a side glance to her feline companion. "Perhaps they'll find someone along the way who will be willing to come and cook fish to your liking."

Miyuki considered this, yes; yes perhaps that'd be an acceptable offering. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

"So..." 

The silence had lasted approximately as long as it took them to leave the city and make their way through the dense forest back towards the nearby river.

"Yeah?" Zuko gave a glance over his shoulder, eyebrow perked. 

"Are you basically like... an Avatar now? The other one is still around, you said?" Lu Ten tried, really, to appear nonchalant about this. Like this was a totally normal, casual, conversation to be having. Despite it absolutely not being that, like at all.

"Vaatu says they’re still alive, kinda? Like alive but, kinda not?" Zuko's nose scrunched, that sounded stupid; why couldn't he just answer a question like normal people. "Alive but not, awake."

"Huh." 

"Yeah. He also says they’re, um... an air—you know." Glancing around, Zuko didn't trust to elaborate more. Like talking about the mythical Avatar being alive was somehow fine, but mentioning a living airbender would be the end of the world (because, yeah, it kinda was). Identifying an existing airbender would be bad, identifying the Avatar not being dead was also bad, but stating both things in a single sentence was just… too much.

"I thought they were all.." Lu Ten grimaced; he knew the history, knew in grave haunting detail what had happened due to their forefathers. 

"No, not really. Vaatu can tell, he's nosey and knows a lot of shit." 

(Vaatu was _not_ nosey; he'd been imprisoned for an unfathomable amount of time and grown very bored. It wasn't his fault his only outlet for amusement had been tapping into the tree of life and watching the nonsense of humans.) 

Lu Ten didn't believe there could still be airbenders, not even a little (again, he'd paid attention during history lessons), but… then again, spirits were weird and knew tons of shit they apparently kept to themselves so honestly; sure, why not. "So then, that means there's... two Avatars now?"

"Um, I guess so? I mean, I can't... yet. Not like, really, anyways. I'm not even that great with fire. Let alone the other three elements." A painful acknowledgment to make. Sure, Zuko was getting better? More better than he had been before the banishment happened, shit better than before the agni kai even happened, but he wasn't like... Azula or anything.

No one was like Azula. 

One of her was enough, two would be catastrophic. 

"Well once we get to a place to openly bend, I'll be the judge of that. If you aren't great yet, you will be." Lu Ten grinned, fire was something he was pretty good at, even if it'd been a while with all the pretending to be a non-bender and all. "Say, does your all-knowing-spirit know where we're going or are we just... vibing with no particular plan."

"Oh." Zuko blanched. He, he hadn't thought of that. He, should have, that was kinda important wasn't it.

 _‘Umm, so where am I supposed to go? Do—do I need to focus on fire or since we're, you know, in the Earth Kingdom am I supposed to...'_ How the fuck did it never occurred to Zuki to ask where to go next? 

Vaatu chuckled; he had wondered how far they'd get before needing a destination would dawn on them. Perhaps this cousin human wasn't entirely useless. _'How do you feel about theft child?'_

_'Uhh, fine?'_

_'There is a military stronghold near here. Perhaps they have transportation animals that could be, acquired, for this endeavor.'_

"So, how you feel about... borrowing." Zuko liked that word more. It was easier to justify than stealing. As a bonus, the people deserved it regardless of his lacking intentions of returning a damn thing. 

"Do you mean borrowing, or stealing?" Lu Ten questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

"Borrowing. With, maybe, little intent of... returning." 

"Uh huh." Lu Ten rolled his eyes with a shrug. "Depends on from who, I guess?" 

"The Fire Nation, obviously." Zuko beamed; eyes mischievous and grin far too toothy to mean anything good. 

Zuko wasn’t being serious, right? It wasn't like Lu Ten had an aversion to taking shit from their nation, really; in a previous life either of them could have anything they asked for without little rhyme or reason. No, what he had an aversion to was the concept of being caught and murdered for it; he really hoped this was just an ill-landing joke. 

It had to be, right? 

Wrong. 

Zuko was dead serious, out of his fucking mind, and had completely meant stealing. Stealing eel hounds, off a docked Fire Nation war ship, next to a military stronghold, while some soldiers were still onboard keeping watch; at least they'd had the wits to wait until nightfall to die. And by they, Lu Ten absolutely meant himself, exclusively, because Zuko didn't believe in planning anything and apparently Vaatu was just going to hang back without objection and watch it unfold. 

Lu Ten had no words. Really, he didn't. Just ambient noises playing on loop in his mind as he watched his baby cousin dress in black, dawn a fucking theater mask, strap dual blades to his back (nice), and just sprint off in the night towards a docked naval ship. Like this was normal. Like normal people just did this. 

In a theater mask. 

Where in spirits name did Zuko even get the mask?

Why did he, among the countless things worth bringing on this little adventure, decide a theater mask was required.

(Perhaps it was, all things considering, but Lu Ten wasn't in the mood to acknowledge that just yet.) 

Lu Ten should have ran after him, probably. He was absolutely failing at this whole 'help your cousin' thing which should really included ensuring he didn't die on day one, but he was far too busy trying to process what was going on to do anything other than gawk like a dumbass. 

Then again, what was he supposed to do about it? Tackle Zuko to the ground? 

By the time Lu Ten caught up to reality enough to start considering his apology soliloquy to Agni over standing there watching while Zuko ran towards his certain death, he caught the sound of two things gracefully diving into the water. 

Lu Tens first thought had been, well at least he'd managed to take someone down with him. Morbid, sure, but at least there'd be one less naval soldier around to unleash unspeakable horrors into the world. 

Somehow, though, he managed to be shocked when Zuko rode up from the shore on an eel hound, with a second one following behind like this was fine, like this was nothing out of the ordinary; Zuko wearing that toothy grin that was apparently his new norm, with the stupid mask propped on top of his head.

"What the fuck Zuko?" He hissed out; Lu Ten was smart enough to keep his voice down, but it was taking a lot of effort. That didn't stop him from waving his arms, gesturing at basically everything; that was a silent display of absolute agitation and if he couldn't scream, he was going to let himself have this. "Did you seriously just do that??" 

"What, like it's hard?" Zuko stated, pointedly, raising his eyebrow. 

Deflating, he grunted. "Apparently not— why are you such a smartass?" Lu Ten smirked with that; grabbing one of the bags and chunking it at his cousin before grabbing his own and slowly approaching the second eel hound. 

Zuko grinned at that; catching the bag with only a slight fumble (it was heavy, okay). "Learned it from you obviously." 

Yeah, okay that's fair. Not that Lu Ten was going to admit it or anything; the fact no one else had influenced his cousin in the like... the four some odd years since they'd seen each other, spoke to indignant thoughts he didn't feel inclined to deal with right now. 

When he'd left, he’d been under the incorrect assumption Zuko was fine and happy; apparently when Ursa left, there was nothing but pain and isolation. It was painfully obvious, now, but dwelling on it wouldn't serve any (positive) purpose. 

"So..." Time to change the subject, to... uh, anything else. "How'd you learn to do all that crazy breaking and entering shit? Which is cool, by the way." 

"Uhh, thanks?" Zuko gave him a side-eye, like this was something to be cautious talking about. Not the knowledge of airbender, the fact the Avatar was still alive, or being a second Avatar, but the truth behind being far stealthier than a fourteen-year-old had any right to be. "I, uh, you... you remember my sister, right?" 

Not a counter question Lu Ten had expected, and his face scrunched up accordingly. "Azula? Yeah, of course I remember her." 

"That's how." 

"So she's into espionage too?" What in the shit had his family up to since Lu Ten left? 

"No." Zuko frowned, head ducking; wishing it was somehow related to sibling bonding instead of literal survival. "She— she's ruthless and the Fire Lord was happy to see me hurt. You, uh, learn some shit while trying to avoid... stuff." 

Oh. 

"Well, shit." This was awkward; Lu Ten had made an awkward ordeal just that much worse. Maybe talking was a bad idea. "I'm getting the vibe I should just, stop talking about home." 

Snorting, Zuko shrugged. "Vaatu says I'm getting way too good at... avoidance, so I dunno if talking about stuff is better or worse." It was certainly easier to just avoid anything that made him feel, to claim apathy for the cruel memories of home, but that didn’t necessarily make it a good idea. 

Bottling it up would probably come back to bite him in the ass somehow.

Because everything did. It always did. 

"It was all bad, you know— in hindsight." Zuko offered, leaning to the side in the saddle to offer the eel hound some shoulder pats; it totally wasn't to avoid making eye contact. "Even before you left, the uh... conditioning? When— when I think about it, that part was bad too."

It was jarring to hear a kid say that. The rampant propaganda was something Lu Ten had come to terms with, sure, but that was only after having the truth slapped in his face; the military, their merciless cruelty, the starving civilian cities, the shit the soldiers did to townsfolk while passing through, the destroyed ghost towns devoid of life when they hadn’t been just years prior, the... the... it was an endless list of atrocities committed across the world. 

The truth was undeniable once seen firsthand, and it'd damn near drowned him with the initial surge of realization. "Yeah. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." Lu Ten hoped, really hoped, that the full extent of the truths was still an unknown; fuck he wished he was still naive to half of it.

"I dunno if—if I have any good memories I want to remember. You know?" Zuko settled on. There were probably some okay memories, from when he was really little; moments with his mother by the turtleduck pond, when Azula and him would steal dumplings from the kitchen and race around the palace, or hanging out on the beach as a family. They were okay but easily overshadowed by the way mother used to read war letters and they'd laugh about cities falling, or Azula chasing him up a tree then setting it ablaze, or the time father watched him almost drown only to save him just to berate him for being pathetic. 

The bad snuffed out the good, none of it deserved to be remembered in fondness. 

"Hey Lu Ten?"

"Yeah?" Their eyes met; Lu Ten was almost afraid of what was going to be said.

"Is it, uh, a bad thing I'd like to see the palace burn to the ground?" Zuko was taken aback with surprise, eyes growing wider, as his cousin started laughing.

"It'll only be bad if I don't get to watch it happen." Lu Ten offered a lopsided grin, eyebrow cocked. "Really. After everything we've done, the nation... our family, it deserves to burn."

Zuko hummed, really there's nothing more he'd like right now than to see the palace smolder; preferably with several key people trapped inside. "The war has to end, you know. I dunno how or, uh, whatever. But— but it does."

"It will. If we have to take the throne and do it ourselves to make it happen, so be it." Lu Ten gave a short tug to his eel hounds reins, earning a snarled growl before it picked up enough pace to walk alongside the other. "I mean it, I'm completely with you."

"You should be nicer to Baozi, he bites you know."

Lu Ten sputtered, glancing down at the shitty glare he was receiving from his eel hound; choosing to lean a bit forward to offer it a few hesitant pats instead of acknowledging the snickering Zuko was doing at him. Naturally he’d gotten stuck riding the asshole with a fondness for using it's teeth. 

"I'm glad you agree though, about the war." Zuko hesitated, for just a moment, "I won't take the throne, though. Not sure I can, but I don't want it... you, uhh, you should."

Honestly, Lu Ten couldn't say he wanted it either; not even a miniscule amount. Years ago the idea would have made him blissfully ecstatic, but that version of him was dead. The throne, the crown, the power; all that meant was a lifetime of undoing wrongs pushed upon the rest of the world. "If I have to, then I will. How do you feel about burning down the palace, faking our deaths, and running away?"

"Hmm..." Zuko made a dramatic effort to appear in deep consideration (he'd always been one for dramatics, sue him). "I think we have to end the war first, make things right, then I think that'd be fine."

They both knew that wouldn't happen; couldn't happen.

Running from the problems created by their bloodline wouldn't solve anything, but their newly acquired mounts were making great time across the Earth Kingdom towards the vague destination suggested by Vaatu, so taking a moment to be dreamily ignorant felt fine.

It was a lie, something they both knew, but to have the chance to ignore reality was nice while it lasted. 

They fell into silence, mostly to ignore what had to happen and the aftermath of once it was achieved. The thoughts lingered, they would until the current tyrant of a Fire Lord was dead, but not saying it yet felt okay. Even with haunting memories of the past, and the expectations of the future, Zuko still noticed the waxing of the moon in between the trees towering above them. A sight he once appreciated in general, for the light offered in the darkness and the comfort from the expansive night sky above, but more and more he noticed the glimmer to the moon as it hung overhead. 

The shimmer wasn't unlike the pulsing of the sun; a mirror of it, from where it hid behind the horizon. He couldn't follow the trail of it yet, to the source his body craved, but he was getting closer. 

It gave him an odd sense of hope he couldn't put words to. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

"So while I can appreciate your modesty and all—" Lu Ten grumbled loudly, words tossed out in between gulps of air, "— you were full of shit when said you sucked at bending."

Lu Ten was currently laying on his back, glaring up at the sun like it'd personally wronged him, near the bank of a river; choosing to ignore the terribly, unwarranted, judgmental looks he was getting from the eel hounds as they relaxed in the shallow water.

They didn’t have a care in the world apparently, unfazed by their long journey nor the firebending practice; in his opinion both Baozi and Udon (Zuko shouldn't be allowed to name things when hungry) were assholes, even if the former was mouthier about his endless supply of opinions.

"I’m not being modest, I'm really not that good." Zuko wore an equally judgy look, not even breathing hard yet, arms crossed and looming over his cousin like the smug asshole he was claiming he wasn’t. "Maybe you're just, uh, out of shape."

Like an asshole, he would say that; Lu Ten glared. "Who exactly are you comparing yourself too? Agni?"

"NO!" Who in their right mind would compare their bending to a fire spirit? The, fire spirit?! (Azula would, but case in point.) "I mean the Fire Lord is probably better than me, and Azula is way WAY better than I'll ever be!" Zuko squawked, "Your father maybe, I dunno, he’s kinda lazy but probably him too."

Lu Ten grimaced, leaning up on his elbows and tilting his head to level his best 'are you fucking kidding me?' look. "Ozai is pathetic enough to try and fight a kid, and okay you might have a point about Azula but she's also unhinged so jot that down. My father is good, but there’s a reason he didn’t challenge Ozai for the throne."

"None of that disputes the fact they're better than me. Especially my sister, her flames are blue now!" Zuko paused to throw his hands in the air, "BLUE! Blue— _fire_!" 

"Yeah well, when's the last time you fought her?" 

Zuko didn't want to play this game; he liked his familiar state of self-loathing because it was a known. If he thought about catching up, then... he didn't know. It didn't matter, it was impossible. "She'll always be better, because she— she's ruthless. She doesn't care if she kills people."

"That..." Okay that wasn't a surprise, but the fact that willingness to murder via fire was being used as a benchmark was a lot to unpack. "Okay, so I need you to think about what you said." Lu Ten said, as calmly as possible. 

"Why?" Zuko could feel the tension creeping in, the defensive walls threatening to fly up; even more so as Lu Ten rose to his feet and moved to place hands on his shoulders. The touch was just enough to be felt, an effort to ground without shattering; it was unwelcomed, but welcomed, terrifying but comforting. 

It scared him.

Would people touching him always cause flinching, cause his stomach to drop to his knees?

"Because the desire to kill isn't what makes someone stronger, it makes them out of control and detached from reality." Lu Ten paused to watch for reactions; they'd only been reunited for a few weeks now, but it was long enough to know touch was a convoluted concept that wasn't to be taken lightly (thinking about that too hard hurt). So far the simple gesture of lightly pressed hands on shoulders wasn't too ill-received; Zuko's eyes weren't unfocused, and the light tremor was better than the eerie stillness. "I think you're stronger than your sister ever will be, because you have amazing control and you care about people. Really, I mean that Zuko."

Zuko nodded but wasn't really sure of what to do with the statement. "Umm, okay." It was a default, empty, nonanswer he knew but that's all he could squeeze from his throat; it was either that or a sea of reasons disputing the supportive words, and for some reason he didn't want that. He didn't want to detail every possible reason he was a disappointment, a failure, a waste; just once, for a moment, he wanted to believe that his cousin wasn't lying to him. 

Maybe it was true. It probably wasn't, but maybe?

"I know what'll cheer you up!" Lu Ten ignored the scowl creeping up on his cousin's face, slipping a hand down to slap Zuko, affectionately, on the back; grinning the while. "Doing that neat little thing where you steal my fire, pull it into multiple fireballs and expect me to actually deflect them all successfully." He chose to disregard the part where he fell on his ass and complained like a child because he still had some dignity. 

"I can put it out in your hand too, you know." 

"Great, so why are you concerned about Azula again?" 

"Uh, mostly the lightning." 

Ah. 

“On second thought, I have an even better idea! "Being the wise and sagely older cousin Lu Ten was, plan b was clearly in order.

“And what would that be.” Zuko looked skeptical at best.

“Time for a coffee break!”

Zuko beamed.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Baozi and Udon were both assholes, unless you just so happened to be Zuko. Lu Ten was, in fact, not Zuko therefore they were both assholes. 

It should have came as no surprise that eel hounds required a lot of meat, on top of being petulant brats with grumbled opinions and very sharp teeth; at least the two had the common courtesy to catch most of their own food. Mostly. Usually. Offerings of food, sadly, did little to improve their mood. 

Udon was slightly less standoffish, but Baozi had no problem trying to take off a limb should he feel so inclined. Preferably one of Lu Ten’s limbs. Preferably at the slightest transgression. 

However, the most important thing learned was it was no myth that eel hounds were extremely fast on both land and water; especially when only they were only carrying one passenger.

Prior to now, Lu Ten had never known the luxury of riding one. They weren't cheap mounts, not easy to train, and the high mortality rate of the army had meant his division had been in possession of exactly zero eel hounds; they'd had a few ostrich horses, but they were relatively slow in comparison (which was saying nothing) and they'd used those for pulling carts of supplies. 

So as far as Lu Ten was concerned, the eel hounds could be as bratty as they wanted because they were exactly as fast as everyone claimed them to be. Not that either cared about his opinion on a good day which was, as it were, not today.

After moving across the northern Earth Kingdom, they were finally closing in on the port city Vaatu (that would always be weird to say) had guided them to. Port cities had more people, more travelers, and other mounted animals on the road, none of that was a surprise. Lu Ten wasn't entirely sure if this was typical behavior, or something brought upon by their military training, but neither eel hound was comfortable as they got closer to the town nor they weren't shy about making it known. Extensively. 

Baozi had attempted to bite his leg four times in the past hour, snarling most of the way, and at some point had decided he was just done with the concept of moving. His refusal to budge had in turn upset Udon, who backtracked while making a series of noises that would be best described as ‘bitching’.

Their stopping and angry noises had then upset Zuko, who was now babying them like they were two defenseless turtleduck hatchlings instead of two one-ton moody carnivores who could easily kill them.

"I think they're scared we're going to leave them." Zuko frowned, coddling a grumpy Baozi's head in his lap like this was just a normal thing people did to giant big-mad-could-murder-without-reservation animals.

Lu Ten wasn't petting either of them, nor making even the slightest move to offer either eel hound comfort, but he was making an attempt at not scowling at them. "Well, it's not like they can swim us across the open ocean?"

Sure water but an ocean wasn't exactly a river or a lake; it was vast, tumultuous, and had little to no options for resting in between here and wherever their destination was. 

"Duh." Zuko scoffed. 

"So, I mean. We need a boat... somehow." Lu Ten really didn't have to spell this out, right? He really didn't want to. They had little coin, no boats, and needed to get to some unknown island for some unknown reason that hadn’t yet been explained to either of them; Vaatu was being vague again, which he was starting to recognize as typical spirit behavior. 

It wasn't like there were adventure ferries lined up to take people (firebenders no less) and their giant angry eel hounds on excursions to abandoned islands. Because that'd just be too easy. Not to mention sketchy.

Nothing was ever easy. Sometimes, as a treat, it was both not easy and sketchy.

"I have money, you know. We just, need a big enough boat for the four of us."

Lu Ten made some kinda noise; a noise that was apparently concerning enough to get the attention of both his cousin and the two assholes who were protesting via refusing to move.

"What?" Zuko had the audacity to frown, like magically the concept of money being a thing was somehow lost on him. 

"Money, perhaps you've heard of it?" Lu Ten said, eyebrow raising, "A thing peeuse in exchange for goods or services?"

"I know— I know what money is, ass!" Zuko barked out, scowling. "I mean I have some. Money, that is." 

"Since when do you have money?" It came out as a very dignified squeak, and at this point Lu Ten didn't care; if the animals could be dramatic, so could he.

"Uhh... since I left the Wani? It's in my bag?"

Somehow, somehow, Zuko managed to look annoyed about having to explain this; like it was just supposed to be obvious. "In your... since you left." Lu Ten repeated, raking his hands over his face, he was just going to accept that this was his life now; they'd had money, could have had showers and spent the night indoors, maybe bought some normal food along the way. This was fine, great even. "Okay."

Turns out, having money was an understatement. 

(Turns out, half the shit Zuko said was an understatement.) 

"How'd you leave with this much gold, exactly?" Lu Ten, at this point, shouldn't be surprised by anything; the fact he was surprised, was a surprise. All things considering, they could get a letter from the Fire Lord abducting from the throne and it shouldn't surprise him. Yet, here he was.

"We uhh, recently received our monthly allotment... when I, umm, left."

"So, you took it all?" Lu Ten wasn't sure how he was feeling about that; proud, amused, or something else. 

"I... I, yeah I guess I—yeah, I took it all." Maybe Zuko should have left something behind, but he did review their finances every month and there was still leftover gold from previous months. Plus they had plenty of food and coal, and nowhere to go. He'd figured they were fine and he was leaving for the unknown; he'd probably need the coin more than they did. Plus, it was technically his money. "Is it, uhh, enough for a boat... you think?"

"Yeah, pretty sure." Enough for several small boats, he didn't say, as he shifted through the carefully packaged coins. 

The gold coins had been carefully wrapped in parchment, twenty per roll, sealed with wax, then bundled into a waterproof pouch. Care had been taken to ensure it wouldn't rattle, the packaging would survive the elements, and wouldn't be easily noticed at the bottom of the bag. It was a bit sloppy, rushed, but it still took a level of planning Zuko wasn't exactly known for.

It was such a seemingly little unnoticeable thing, but it spoke volumes; Zuko's instinctual need to protect himself was something that overrode impulsive lack-of-decision-making. 

This was just one more straw on the camelephants back, pointing to just how little trust Zuko had towards anyone and how self-reliant he’d become. 

In the moment of clarity Lu Ten felt ill, he felt indignation, and more than anything he felt a budding optimism; for all the mistrust aimed at the world, he'd somehow been allowed to slip past the defenses. A hesitant lowering of emotional walls, fragile and threatening to rebuild without warning.

After repackaging the coin and returning it to the bottom of the bag, Lu Ten's attention fell back to his cousin; who didn't seem to notice either way, still doting on the eel hounds like they were newborn pups. "So the port town isn't too far, we should camp here tonight and I'll head there in the morning." 

Zuko spared a cautious glance; he shouldn't be suspicious of motive, but it was hard. Everyone always hurt him, everything was a trap, and he wanted desperately just once to offer trust without hesitation. Just once. He wanted, now more than ever, to be able to just trust one family member without fear of retaliation. "Yeah?" He replied, simply. 

"No offense or anything, but you're kinda more recognizable than I am. Plus—" Grinning in the most devious way possible, Lu Ten crossed his arms while moving to lean against a tree, "—You're a terrible liar. You'll absolutely out yourself as a banished Prince, or an Avatar, and without a doubt there will be threats made about burning the town to the ground." 

Glaring, Zuko said nothing. If he said anything, he'd yell denials that they both knew were hippo-bullshit, but he could still glare about the accusation; maybe he'd convince Baozi to bite for his honor later. It wouldn't take much encouragement. 

He probably wouldn't do that.

Maybe.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

This was, probably a stupid idea in hindsight; maybe they should have just waited until the middle of the night and just stolen a boat. 

Sure Lu Ten could almost pass for a mixed race guy from the colonies, if they were squinting. His hair was long enough for a topknot but was always in a low ponytail, his side of the family wasn't nearly as lean as many from his nation, thanks to his mother his skintone was a bit darker than most from the Fire Nation, but the eyes were unmistakable; the distinct golden eyes of his heritage were impossible to hide, and everyone knew exactly what they meant. 

Those eyes came exclusively from long bloodlines of firebenders. Those eyes belonged to the enemy, the colonizers bent on destroying the world with fire and hate. 

The eyes that were currently, seemingly, being heavily scrutinized by an aging man from the doorway of a shack that had a sign on the wall stating 'Boats for Sale'. 

"So, what's your name boy?" The man looked suspicious with eyes narrowed but otherwise didn't seem all that ready to gut him for fish bait. Yet, anyways. 

"Uhh... Shi, sir." Fuck, Lu Ten was supposed to be the passable liar. 

"Uhshi, huh, that's an odd name." The old man gave the boy (he wasn't that old, but old enough to call any man without gray hair 'boy') another once over; this kid definitely wasn't from around here, that's for sure. "You must be from the colonies."

Lu Ten's face blanched. "Yeah, yeah I am actually."

"Explains a lot." The man nodded, as if the universe was suddenly at peace with itself and the explination provided was acceptable; tough frown lines softened to a lopsided grin. "So, what can I do ya for?"

"I need a... boat." 

"Ah! Well you're in luck Uhshi, I just so happen to have some boats for sale!"

"Great, that's… great!" Lu Ten tried to force a friendly smile, it looked more like he'd been struck by lightning but he had tried; the shop said boats for sale, why else would he possibly be interested in?

"What kind ya lookin' for?" The man waved towards the dock, which had all of about three options, but he made a show as if this was a vast marina with hundreds of options to pick from; it was all about the salesmanship. "Got a fishing skiff, a bit bigger catamaran, and a small barge that needs some work but if you have a crew and some time I can give ya a great deal. There's a few little canoes outback too!"

"Let's look at the, uhh... catamaran? That might work." Lu Ten attempted to sound intelligent, but he was distracted by the barge that 'needs some work'. It was half submerged, partially wedged ontop of the pier and jutting out of the water at a weird angle, and its existence was flat out intrusive; they didn't anything that big, even if it was functional, but he couldn't stop looking at it because how did it even get here? Did someone forcefully drag it?

Thankfully Lu Ten's gawking went seemingly unnoticed, while a grandiose sales pitch was offered; the man led the way to a (with any luck) functional boat, slapping one of the hulls like it was a marvel of the modern world. "Here she is, a real solid boat that's even got some cargo space! Really dependable too, used to belong to a family friend. Took real good care of it... say boy, you know how to work a sail right?"

"Yup, I do actually. Rusty, but I can manage." Rusty was generous, Lu Ten hadn't sailed anything in about ten years (since the family vacations on Ember Island stopped happening) but he could definitely probably figure it out.

"If you say so." The man didn't believe a word of it, but that was fine; he'd get paid regardless, and if the boat was returned he'd offer very little to buy it back. If anything it would be better of the boy couldn't sail. "It'll be all yours for three-hundred gold. Quite a bargain."

Lu Ten had no comparison for what was or wasn't a bargain, he equally really had no alternatives even if it was overpriced. Instead of outing that fact, he smiled and nodded.

Thankfully he'd been right yesterday, Zuko had taken more than enough money to buy several boats; at least boats that were located in economical destroyed port towns in the Earth Kingdom, anyways. "Yeah, yeah I think I can make that work."

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

It was midday when Lu Ten finally made it back to their campsite. He hadn't planned to take that long, but turns out boat guy was two things: thorough in the walk-through inspection of the catamaran, and extremely chatty. Exceptionally chatty once coin was involved about, offering absolutely anything else he might be able to offer to squeeze a few more gold into the deal.

It wasn't a successful attempt, but he'd tried... that was a lie; the old man had managed to sell him four maps, a compass that may or may not function properly, and two pounds of coffee beans of unknown age or origin. 

Lu Ten wasn't sure why he bought the beans, it wasn't like they really needed them (currently) (yet), particularly when the vibrancy of said beans was dubious at best. There wasn’t much that was more insulting than drinking a cup of very stale coffee. 

"Any luck?" Zuko glanced up from where he was sharpening his swords, upon his cousin's return, leaning against Udon while she took a nap in the sun.

"Naw, no boats." Shrugging, Lu Ten managed to sell the statement while his cousin sputtered and dropped the whetstone, before finally grinning. "Kidding, yeah I found one that'll work. We can leave now or wait until morning to get a full day of sun, up to you."

"Oh, uh, cool... good?... Good." Zuko stumbled over his words; thrown off by the joking, but ultimately glad he could trust his cousin to not take the money and abandon him. He wanted to; to be able to unconditionally put his trust into someone who didn't twist the knife in his back.

If he could trust anyone, it was probably Lu Ten. He'd been the only one who'd been equally betrayed by their family for being a means to an end, who knew how it felt to be expendable for simply being in the way.

_'Should we leave now or in the morning? Is the island far? Will it, umm, matter when we leave?'_

Vaatu took a moment to consider, having been distracted by the recent thoughts and emotions reflecting this cousin human; he wasn’t entirely sold on them being trustworthy yet, but this one was more promising than the older human had been. _'I cannot offer a reflection of distance child, just it is an island lying west of this location.'_

 _'Oh. Uhh, okay.'_ Zuko didn't know what to do. His kneejerk reaction was to leave now, both staying and going were unknowns so it shouldn't matter. Shouldn't, but it probably did matter. Planning wasn't his forte, but this felt like a situation where that was probably important. _'Does, leaving now or in the morning matter? Should we, um, should we plan or something?'_

_'Child, I will never dissuade you from preparing for what is to come.'_

Zuko made a face, choosing to not respond to that remark; he could totally plan ahead if he wanted to. "Vaatu doesn't know how far the island is from here and then said unhelpful stuff." He also chose to ignore the spirits pissy response to that, "We should, uh, do you think— I think we should plan for it being a while? On the water?"

Lu Ten straight up was not going to cry, okay, but he was going to pretend to be deeply moved in an emotional way while grabbing at his chest like a total dramatic dick. "Zuko, I'm so proud of you right now."

Zuko did not respond immediately, but his eyes did get wide as he slunk farther into Udon's side, gawking like an idiot. "Wh—what, why?" 

"All trying to plan ahead, sort of, that's some real growth buddy." Lu Ten sniffed, wiping away a nonexistent tear before ducking to avoid the whetstone that was chunked at his head.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Planning had been a great idea.

Vaatu's unhelpful direction of 'island to the west of here' was largely useless, and his remarks of 'keep going' or 'yes this is still the correct direction' were few and far between and equally useless. 

The spirit had been excessively ambiguous regarding why they were currently a week into a jaunty sea journey heading towards an island that was apparently, supposedly, void of life. A statement that was obviously a lie; if the island was desolate then why would they be wasting their time getting there?

A question that had been asked, at least daily, since hitting the water, and each time some half-truth unclear answer was given with just a sprinkle of acknowledgement that it probably wasn't without life. 

"So, what's actually on this island?" Lu Ten raised an eyebrow, while giving a glance that said he expected no real answer but wouldn't it be nice to finally get one. He definitely didn't miss the pause in his cousin's feeble attempt at fishing that'd been happening; an attempt he'd have helped with had he been asked, but hadn't been. 

"Umm..." Zuko's face gave a grimace, which pretty much told most of the story. "So, basically... I still dunno? I mean, not exactly anyways."

"We're going to die there, aren't we." Lu Ten wasn't going to feign surprise, and his flat expression reflected his calm acceptance of death.

"Probably not. Maybe?" Zuko waved a hand nonchalantly, his other clutching the fish pole like his life depended on it; failing entirely at the concept of being 'comforting' about their situation. "Vaatu told me earlier the island isn't really abandoned but he won't say what's there? Just that, um, if we don't lie about anything, we should be fine and it'll be good."

"And if we're not lucky and it's not fine?"

"Then we’ll probably die."

"Cool, that’s cool." Lu Ten made a face; the kinda face one made right before they did something that they knew was stupid, that was probably going to be a huge regret, but then they said fuck it and did it anyways. Which was, par the course really. "So no lying, but how exactly do you plan to prove you're one of the two Avatars? Which I assume is a better lead than hey we're the Fire Lord's son and nephew what's up."

"Uhhh..." Zuko looked exactly like someone who hadn't considered this, because he hadn't, and was fully prepared to just wing it, which was exactly what he'd planned to do; in retrospect, it was probably better to think about it now opposed to on the spot. "I can, um, kinda move water? Like, a little?"

A little wasn't very comforting considering their lives were arguably on the line, but Zuko’s definitions were a bit screwed up; not good clearly meant one single person was better than me, so it wasn't unresponsible for Lu Ten to question where 'a little' fell on the Zuko spectrum. So he did, in a less disparaging way, ask for confirmation of skill level. "Show me!"

Disregarding the fact Lu Ten seemed keen to the idea of waterbending, it still made Zuko anxious; what if he couldn't? What if he just imagined it in previous attempts? What if..

"Zuko..."

"Yeah?" Gulping, Zuko offered a quick hesitant glance like he was fearing the worst possible outcome if he dared to make eye contact. 

"Stop over thinking it."

"Oh, uh, right." Right, right. Zuko could do this, he could just... stop being hypercritical of himself (like that was easy or something); this was just his cousin, minimal judgment, and two eel hounds who's opinions of him didn't really matter.

This was fine, really, no pressure.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko stood as rooted as he could on a rocking boat and focused on the rolling water around them; the push and pull of the waves, the way the water moved fluidly around the boat, the way it was taunting him to dare and control it. It wasn't going to relent without a fight.

Perhaps it'd be smarter to do this with a pond, a lazy river, a large puddle, perhaps even a small lake would be more willing. However, the only thing available was an angry open ocean who wasn't going to make this easy, but that was fine. Really. 

Because nothing, nothing, could out stubborn Zuko (outside of maybe himself when in regards to himself).

With a sincerely affronted glower (just in case it felt inclined to be intimidated) aimed at the water (it was indifferent to his expression), arms extended with palms facing down, Zuko's concentration barred on the ever moving, ever changing movement of the water; hands swaying in time with the current until it relented to his movements, he took hold and dragged a wave up and over the side of their boat… a tad more forcefully than intended. 

A tad being an overzealous wave of water that drenched everything on deck; everything being two unfazed eel hounds, and one exasperated Lu Ten who was suddenly regretting his life choices just that much more.

"Uhh... ta-da?" Zuko tittered, looking anywhere that didn't require eye contact; in his defense, he was asked to waterbend. He wasn't entirely to blame here. 

Lu Ten was going to blame him anyways. "So—" He started, making a dramatic point of ringing water out of his tunic, "—How'd you figure out how to waterbend?"

"Uhhh. .." Zuko fidgeted, yet again making a point of avoiding eye contact. "I mean, I have some... scrolls?"

"Scrolls." Lu Ten repeated.

"Yeah? I mean, I was mostly using them for, um, firebending?" To a degree, Zuko knew that answer really answered nothing; if anything, just created more questions, but it wasn't actually a lie. "But I got, I guess, curious? And the night watch was always asleep anyways so I just... you know."

"Uhh, went for it?"

"... Yeah, basically?"

Lu Ten took a few to process that, before ultimately giving up and shrugging. The idea that Zuko could bend more than one element and out himself, around a crew that would probably sell him out for one fire flake, on a Fire Nation military ship, and just went ahead with trying to waterbend anyways... well, it tracked. "Cool."

What else could he really say? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so technically speaking (giant?) eel hounds are fantastic at traveling over both land and water, but the water aspect was never explicitly detailed so I decided rivers and lakes and stuff made sense but like open ocean just seemed a tad excessive. Also far too easy?   
>    
> My original plan was to have the eel hounds be traded for a boat but Zuko said no thank you so here we are. Now I'm forced to deal with relocating two whole ass eel hounds all around the world, which I can't say I appreciate. 
> 
> Hopefully y'all do. 
> 
> Because I really wish he'd have somehow found a sky bison and stole that instead because my life would be way easier right now. 
> 
> I also have no idea who's ship the eel hounds were stolen from, but let's take a moment to hope it was from Zhao because he's an asshole and deserves it.


	6. High Quality Rope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys finally make it to their mysterious island destination; they you know... make some friends, have a few near death experiences, learn some things, and Zuko burns some rice. Twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I wanna say really quick— the names given to the sun warriors are either Aztec, Inca, or Maya, and I pulled them from websites that (appeared, hopefully) to be from not uhhHH babyname type website sources (y'all know what I mean by this I'm sure). So if any name used is like, troublesome+ please let me know so I can change it?
> 
> (Yes they're all short names because I am a simple person with an inability to spell and I will in fact make a mockery of myself.)

Neither of them had any idea what to expect when reaching on the shore of what was, historically, believed to be an uninhabited island; an island that was, evidently, according to Vaatu, less properly abandoned and more so feigning to be.

The jist from the royal tutor education both Zuko and Lu Ten had once received was: the island used to belong to an ancient tribe known as the Sun Warriors, whom eventually became the modern-day Fire Nation. The old island was left to ruin when they migrated to the fire archipelago. The end, next chapter. 

That short and sweet lesson was their assumption, based off Vaatu's vague hints, going into this adventure; that the ancient tribe was long gone, and in their place maybe there was a group of people taking refuge who could rally in support against Ozai, maybe they already had a coup strategy in the works, or maybe just some people who knew something important that could assist them. Perhaps a resistance force, or a group of military deflectors? Both, if they were lucky. 

That was a marvelous reverie.

(It was also off the mark.)

Their catamaran was dragged onto the beach and covered haphazardly (branches and seaweed would have to do for now), the eel hounds were left to roam and do whatever it was eel hounds did, while Zuko and Lu Ten finally took to wandering the island; was there ever an abundance of places to explore. It was astounding, the kind of place someone could study their entire life and still miss a myriad of nuances. 

They'd stumbled, literally, into an ancient city that (definitely) wasn't in a state of dilapidation; it was old, very old, but outside of moss, a bit of wear and tear, the infrastructure was clearly maintained. Especially for how staggering in size it was... for how even the statues and murals were as pristine as if they'd been completed yesterday. 

Then everything went to shit, as it inevitably did. 

Zuko the master of impulse himself just had to touch shit; in his defense, no one should ever be surprised by that.

What should have been equally unsurprising was the fact that Lu Ten was just as capricious as his cousin was; the fact they were related was the warning flag, and the ten year age difference did nothing to detour the allure of objects just sitting there waiting to be picked up.

(Lu Ten would, at a later date, state this was a tactical maneuver. After all, it had spurred results.) 

Zuko had at least limited himself to stealing rope (it was high quality, okay, it was useful) and trying to pry the objectively functional 'free for the taking' weapons off of statues. Lu Ten on the other hand had pulled, what he affectionately referred to as, a Zuko; he saw a big shiny shimmering sunstone-object (egg-shaped statue?), figured that could be traded for a lot of coin (if not, it was pretty), and grabbed it with zero impulse control. 

That is precisely how they ended up neck deep in something awful and unrelenting (probably tar, because why wouldn't it be) and trapped beneath some barred cage trap, thing. Without a doubt, they'd be left here to die. 

"So this is nice." Zuko quipped, as wry as possible. 

"Don't..." Lu Ten's counter, that came out more pleading than barbed. "You know you'd have done it if I hadn’t beat you to it."

No response was given, at all, verbal or otherwise. Because that wasn't not wrong; Zuko absolutely would have grabbed the big shiny thing just sitting there asking for it, had he noticed it. He did not, however, have to acknowledge that. 

"Why was a statue like that just sitting there, anyways." Grumbling, Lu Ten had just enough room to (dramatically) tunk his head against the metal bars. 

"Because we kill anyone stupid enough to trespass on our sacred ground." A deep voice offered in explanation.

Neither of them screamed.

Really, they didn't.

(They shrieked, which was different but not entirely less shameful.)

Seeming to appear out of nowhere there was now a fabulously irate group of people who clearly belonged here, each of them looming over the self-inflicted confinement. Each one of them, all six, had at least one weapon on their person; in hand, with intention to use if need be, but not a one at the ready or pointed in their direction. Clearly seeing no necessity, as the threat had taken care of itself. Convenient, really.

"We had no idea anyone was here, really."

"Well we kinda did, I mean—"

"Zuko that's not helping."

"I just, I mean Vaatu did say..."

"Right, because that's really what you wanna lead this conversation with?" Lu Ten barked out.

"He did, uhh, say not to lie?" Zuko knew they should have practiced what to say, he'd suggested it! Several times, really this wasn't his fault; why had Lu Ten just assumed he could use words like people?

The warriors had various looks reflecting the bizarre, whatever this exchange was, happening before them; half were amused, one appeared curious enough to see how this turned out, one was already done, and the last was already getting a headache.

"ENOUGH!" The one with a budding headache was also the one in charge; the Chief, their humble leader, and ultimately the one who had to decide what to do with them. A large man who somehow managed to tower over the rest of his people; even more intimidating when you were trapped. "Explain yourselves or you will die."

That shut the bickering up. 

"I, um, so do... you want me to start from the beginning?"

This... this was going to be a very bad headache, he could tell. Sighing, Chief Meztli waved the hand not currently trying to strangle his macuahuitl to death. "Sure, beginning is fine." 

"Oh, okay, uh well so when I was thirteen, I had to dual my father and he almost killed me... well, no he actually killed me, maybe, but then Agni pulled me into the spirit world and he—" 

"Stop, stop. Stop—" Meztli was waving his free hand wildly, already regretting waking up this morning; there was already too much to unpack and this... kid, was only a single sentence into his monolog. "How old are you now?" 

"Almost fifteen!" Zuko scoffed; it wasn't a total lie, he was almost fourteen and a half, if he rounded up. 

Oh boy. "And, your father? What was the dual with?" 

Bristling, Zuko hesitated with a response. He couldn't… lie. Vaatu explicitly said to not lie, to not do that, but he was very very tempted to lie anyways. So tempted. "F—f... fire? Uh, fire." 

Ah. That explained, absolutely nothing outside of at least one of the two being firebenders; which hadn’t really been a question Metzli needed an answer to. If anything, it created more questions. "At thirteen." A nod. Fantastic. "Why were you forced to dual him." 

Silence. 

Silence wasn't lying, right? Omission didn't count as lying. 

If Zuko could have fidgeted, or regretted everything and fled, he would have. So instead he opted for silence and avoiding eye contact; doing so had never helped him in the past, but maybe this time… if he were lucky… 

"Boy..." 

Oh. Oh, now the male authority figure was mad, and looming, and mad. Great, fucking perfect. "I spoke against him okay? In a, uh, meeting that was... important! But he wanted to kill people for, for, stupid reasons and it was wrong. Okay?" Zuko was babbling. He knew that, but he couldn’t stop himself once the nerves got involved; nothing made him more antsy than overbearing, upset, authority figures. 

Meztli, was having some thoughts, along with a few opinions, and they were but a few sentences into this conversation. None of these would be helpful voicing right now. Instead he spared a glance to his closest advisor, a thinner man with equally thinning patience, receiving a look that simply said: I'm not sure what's going on but I don't like it. Ham GHao was, as ever, very helpful indeed. Meztli looked back to the two trapped in the ground. "And you said Agni showed himself to you?" 

"Umm... Yeah?" 

"Why?" 

"Because, uhh, something about his plans to end the war didn't include me… dying? And, uh... another spirit could, you know, help." 

"Help with... what?" 

"The... not dying part?" Zuko squinted up, with a patroniing look; was this really that complicated to follow?

(Lu Ten was taking the moment to reflect on his life, his mistakes, while he added absolutely nothing to the shitshow of an interrogation that was taking place. He had nothing to add, other than questioning his role in the universe.)

Ah. A spirit blessed child who'd broken into their city for (still) unknown reasons, who Metzli had very much considering leaving to his death up until about a minute ago. "Which spirit are you speaking of, boy." 

"Ahh, Vaatu?" Zuko winced, kinda unsure if he wanted them to know of Vaatu or not; glancing over at Lu Ten, offered zero comfort. For all intents and purposes, his cousin looked resigned to the fate of death and was just going with it. 

Turns out the warriors did actually know who Vaatu was. They didn't say it out right, but the second the name left his lips several weapons clattered to the ground and three of warriors looked ready to flee; the sight of three very grown, large, men with previously impressive scowls (Zuko noted, for future reference) now looking rattled should have been amusing. If not for the whole, trapped in the ground with questionable surviving, thing. 

The warriors knowing who Vaatu was, was an understatement. 

"You must be mistaken about which spirit blessed you boy." One of the three, who were managing their composure, barked; he was tall enough, lean, and had a constipated look that in other circumstances Zuko would be rapt with. Ham Ghao was the second most versed in spirits within their tribe, albeit the most skeptical regarding any spirit involvement with humans. On a good day, he doubted spirits would waste their time contacting meer mortals, but assuming they did intervene for some odd reason, that particular spirit would be the last one to bother. 

"Uhh, no?" Listen. Zuko knew he was in absolutely no position to be snarky about anything right now, he did; but! But! He was told not to lie, he wasn't lying, and how dare this asshole suggest he didn't know what spirit he had dealt with! "I mean, I guess he didn't actually bless me? We're, like, the same person now or, however that works. But it is definitely Vaatu!" 

Ham Ghao and Meztli shared a look, before glancing back down to the kid; unspoken, they were in agreement with their lack of knowing how to respond to that… correctly. Prove it, came to mind, but that was a loaded statement they didn't know the consequences to. 

Zuko knew that look. Silent judgement and disbelief. 

He knew the look and he hated it. 

"Giant angry black rug-kinda spirit with a single sorta-glowy eye and ribbony leg arm thingies, right? Trapped in the tree of life in the spirit realm, by Raava, ten thousand years ago! Great spirit of darkness and chaos. Sound familiar?" Zuko sneered up at them; daring them to ask him to prove it. 

(He didn’t know what he’d do if they asked for proof, but challenging people angerly was a thing he often found himself doing.) 

They did not ask for proof. 

"So, are you aware of what such a thing would mean?" 

"Yes! I mean, probably?” Zuko faltered, making a face. “What do you mean exactly? Like, like—that I'm an Avatar or whatever or that Vaatu is like always with me? Or, I dunno is there more?" Was that why they were here? Did these judgy people with their very cool weapons (and good rope) know more about Vaatu or Avatars, or something?

"Vaatu is… always with you?" Ham Ghao dropped his sneer, replacing it with something that straddled the line between disbelief and concern.

"Yeah? I mean, why wouldn’t—didn’t I just said that?” 

Meztli glanced to Ham Ghao, who in turn glanced at Atletl; she was the youngest among them presently, not much older than Zuko (and just as ready to fight about it) and apparently the only one unfazed by whatever is going on right now if her 'ehh' expression and casual leaning against the wall were to be believed. Youthful ignorance, is what the others would call it; she preferred to refer to it as bold confidence. 

"Go fetch the aardvark slothes." Ham Ghao barked at her, before turning to another warrior who looked about three ticks away from running for his life. "And you, go tell Ocllo to prepare for... _visitors_." 

No one had to tell Xihuitl twice; without a word he turned and did his best to casually, calmly, walk back towards their dwellings. It was unsuccessful, more of a nervous fumbling, but it wasn’t like anyone noticed. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

This was ridiculous, like the first-time outsiders had dared touch foot on their island in basically forever (since Atletl had been old enough to be considered a true warrior, anyways, which was basically forever) and she had to go get the aardvark sloths. Typical. 

Why couldn't Ham Ghao go get them if he knew everything? It wasn't like he was doing anything important. Standing around looking smug like he knew everything wasn't important. Anyone could do that; she was a pro at standing there while looking full of herself.

 _Whatever_. 

If he somehow found himself glued to his bed tonight in slime, well must have been the spirits! 

Bossy jerk. 

Knowing everything. 

Whatever. Grumbling, arms crossed (it wasn't brooding, it was being scorned) Atletl kicked a stone out of her way as she (wasn't) stomping towards the animal pens. 

She guessed she kinda understood, the animals did like her and stuff, but it wasn't like they were aggressive or anything. They weren't even willful! They'd follow anyone in hopes that doing so would mean a free snack. 

Which is exactly what they were doing, once the latch was pushed up and the door to their pen swung open. Both aardvark sloths made their grunting happy noises at her, then lumbered happily behind as Atletl led them towards the two idiots who'd trapped themselves (boys were so stupid). 

"Oh. You let them out." Atletl gruffed out at no one in particular, glaring at the two idiots covered in a healthy coat of slime. A healthy coat that made the animals grumble happily as they get to work on their free snack time; why they were so eager to eat the mashed seaweed concoction she’d never know.

The only silver lining was the demoralized looks on the idiots faces throughout the whole ‘being cleaned up’ ordeal. 

"What?" She chastised, smirking. "Something tells me you two needed a good bath anyways."

"Atletl…" The Chief gave her a look; a knowing sort of look that was, promptly ignored. 

"Oh so what, we're just going to let them go?" Atletl gawked. Really? They all obviously knew what they were; firebenders, pale, GOLD eyes! They were the reason their masters were mostly dead! These two should have been left for dead, spirit blessings be damned; at least Ham Ghao seemed to agree with her, judging by the scrunched up look on his face (not that she appreciated sharing a sentiment with him). "What's next, want me to make sure they have a room to stay in too?" 

"Actually..." 

…

The blood-curdling scream she unleashed could be heard clear across the island. In tandem with the squawking of startled iguana parrots taking flight. 

(At least the entire tribe was now fully aware something was going on.) 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

"Maybe they'll die." Ham Ghao whispered, leaning over just enough to not be overly suspicious. 

"I'd like that." Atletl grunted. "I'd like that a lot." She wasn't even picky! They could fall off the side of the cliff, get burned alive, get eaten as a nice sacrificial snack, denied by the masters and hunted for sport; all perfectly good reasonable outcomes for allowing outsiders onto their island.

"Don't get your hopes up kid." Ocllo stated openly for all to hear, not bothering to whisper (she was wise, feasibly respected, and most importantly old enough to be far past holding either her tongue or volume), as she sauntered past the still growing group of people to stand alongside the Chief; not even bothering a second glance as Ham Ghao cleared his throat and Atletl sputtered. 

The teenager’s behavior could be excused, but he should know better; Ham Ghao was no spring pig-chicken, some even considered him respectable (at times). Puh, no wonder the masters never offered him favor, and here he was… dragging the poor girl down with his insolence. 

Sure, Ocllo understood their sentiments; these boys were outsiders, enemies of all, bearers of false-fire, and the very bloodline of the first who took pride in dragon slaying. She understood the fearful ramifications of allowing these two anywhere near their masters. Anywhere near their sacred knowledge. 

Unlike the rest of her people, though, she felt the inordinate spirit energy radiating from the younger boy; Zuko, her Chief had said his name was. When told that Vaatu had chosen to take a vessel to finally balance the force of Raava... well, Ocllo didn't think she'd live to see the day, but she had no reason to question the child’s story. She could feel the aura the moment they met. 

Why Vaatu had suddenly been gifted the opportunity Raava had taken herself eons ago was a concerning unknown. Vaatu had been cast aside by his other half, bound to a tree even older than himself with a promise he’d rot there until the end of existence. Ocllo couldn’t help but wonder if this were the answer to the strange occurrences they'd been grappling with for the past year or so.

The masters must have known, somehow, what had transpired and what was to come of it. They had been benevolent enough to share some of the visions with her; few vague images dancing in the flames, contextless words and flickers of events that had transpired, claiming it was to prepare her for imminent events. Not everything, just enough to guide her with their vagaries.

Arrogantly, Ocllo was happy to boaster the look of someone who knew something no one else did; a clever smirk on her face, held head high, as her brethren took to their stances and drew fire into rings, drums sounding off in cadence as the outsiders were given the spiel alongside their individual piece of the eternal flame. 

(Everyone had noticed the look on her face. Not that anyone was brave enough to ask about it.)

(At first, anyways.)

As the two outsiders, that Ocllo knew for certain were intertwined with a shift of destinies, started their trek upwards to where their masters laid in wait, Ham Ghao couldn't hold his tongue any longer. 

"So, these trespassers—" He kept his voice low, as he approached and came to stand at her right; head leaning closer towards her with his eyes locked on the two figures ascending the mountainside; Ham Ghao wasn’t bothered with being shameful to the ritual, considering whom was undertaking it, but if there was gossip he didn’t want to share. "—They are more than they appear, are they not?" 

Ocllo replied with a snort, and a bit of side-eye; if he wanted answers, he’d have to try a lot harder than that. 

Ham Ghao hummed, nodding; like that nonanswer magically explained everything. It didn't, but it hinted. "This is somehow related to the unscheduled swapping of eggs, isn't it?" 

Again, she didn't formally reply to his question; her body going a bit more rigid alongside an annoyed huff. Ah, so it was related! Ham Ghao dropped it, for now, refocusing as the two bodies steadily ascend the mountain path. The drums beating towards their crescendo, getting louder and louder with more heavy-handed strikes, sounds that would soon be replaced with the trumpeting of the sacred horn; the rings of fire growing larger and larger, both in size and intensity, with each milestone met. 

Ham Ghao knew this was far more pivotal than just two Fire Nation brats seeking knowledge of dragon fire. He'd known that hours ago when Ocllo had stared at them wide-eyed and announced, without provocation, to ready everyone for the ritual. What he hadn't known, then, was that this was just an early phase of a far larger destiny. 

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't bitter about this whole thing; that two people had been chosen from the most depraved of an enemy rather than someone of their own people. The very people who served the masters, protected many of the dragons that called their island home, as well as honored the true meaning of firebending. 

Bitter, yes, but not lumpen enough to question it aloud; if these were the destined to mend the atrocities committed by their own kind, then he would support them. 

(That wasn't to say he'd be solicitous about it. He would not be.)

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Vaatu clearly exists, had been giving Zuko clear directions to follow, and was unquestionably a spirit who knew things no human would. 

If Lu Ten had been hesitant to believe it before, which he was (because the idea of an ancient spirit living rent free in his baby cousin was just… a lot to just accept), then he sure fucking wasn't now. 

Sure. He'd been more than willing to dutifully follow his cousin before, albeit with his opinions, but now? Lu Ten just might finally be over his suspicions. 

This entire island adventure had, thus far, been surreal. A lost civilization, vivid murals of long forgotten firebending katas, an eternal flame that was disparate to any fire he'd ever felt before, a tribe of people who’d been forgotten but were definitely not gone; at this point fucking dragons could show up and it wouldn't be astounding. 

"What do you think is at the ridge?" Despite being the only two people making the climb, Lu Ten was whispering; it felt like the appropriate thing to do.

"Dunno." Shrugging, Zuko was less watching his footing and more watching the swirling fire in hand; not too big, not too small, don't fuck it up. "I mean, the masters?" 

Lu Ten did not groan, barely, but he did level a glare. "You know what I mean." 

"Oh. Uhh..." Zuko trailed off, glancing up at the nearing ridge before turning back to the fire (he had to focus, okay). "I guess some people, who must live up here or… something?" 

Or something. 

As they closed in on the ledge above, with every step taken, two very distinct openings came more into view; neither were eroded cave entrances like one might expect, these had been carefully carved into the stone with intricate designs of flames and coiling dragons. Each opening was perfectly aligned on either side of a narrow bridge, a bridge that widened towards the middle to create a platform that was intended for something; the only asymmetrical part was one small side path connecting to the side of one mountain. It was impressive, and it left a haunting feeling of a stage set for sacrifice. 

This being some bizarre sacrificial ceremony would make the most sense, considering who they were. That jarring, should have probably been obvious, realization becoming clearer as the steady thumping of drums grew smaller, only to be replaced by the deafening bellow of a horn. 

This is it. Their destiny was to die; the masters were clearly some virtuoso warriors who were about to murder them. 

The two stood on the platform, back to back, cosmically insignificant flames trembling in their hands as an offering to the masters to not strike them down where they stood, miles above solid land, they shared an implicit calm sense of acceptance over the situation; their deaths would mean nothing, in the scheme of it, but if was retribution to these people who'd been defamed by their own... then hopefully it made amends for an iota of the devastation unleashed upon the world. 

The ground beneath them quaked violently, as something clandestine that lurked in the void behind the two archways began to stir. 

Turns out it wasn't 'or something; it was two somethings and disregarding previously assumed unvoiced beliefs, Lu Ten was dumbfounded. 

Zuko was, equally, as fuddled. 

With an unparalleled burst of the bubble of reality as they knew it came to a inaudible pop, as the figures soaring in fast past loops were in fact two whole ass fucking dragons. 

_Dragons_. 

They were dragons. 

The masters, both of them, were _dragons_. 

Neither Lu Ten nor Zuko had the presence of mind to do anything but gape; minds blank, thoughts missing in action, the flames in their hands puttering out without so much as a notice.

The dragons as suddenly as they'd emerged, shifted to a more distinctive set of movements; a pattern of dives and arcs, each resolute with purpose, the dragons seeming expectant for a reaction that was never instructed to provide. 

The offering of fire had been, evidently, nothing more than a starting point— this step was up to them, or they'd be struck down for their insolence. 

"Hey do you uhh—" Lu Ten was scrambling for words. There were two living, breathing, dragons circling them with the overt expectation of something happening, and he had a hunch this was time sensitive. "—Do you have any idea what we should be doing?" 

Zuko bristled, tension building as uncertainty clashed with anxiety; the enticing desire to detach from his body was growing steadily and he… he couldn't, not fucking now, and the attempt at staying sentient made his skin crawl, repulsive to exist in; his breath catching on the constricting jagged edges of his throat. "What, how would I know what to do?!" 

Zuko wanted to scream and throw himself off the ledge; anything to escape from the hysteria within. Coherent thoughts were being kept just inches from his grasp, by the constant darkness that plagued him. He couldn't think, he couldn't... anything. 

The heavy weight of this entire island, the expectation, everything he thought he knew was so wrong wrong wrong, dragons still existed and their expectations—yet again he was on the spot, in the limelight, clueless as to what was wanted from him, destined to be a failure…

_'Zuko, please quell your distress.'_

_'I fucking can't, there's dragons— how are there fucking dragons, my family killed them all?! But there's, but— there's two and they’re alive, and they want something and I can't... I can't…'_ He was hyperventilating; couldn't stop, couldn't get air to his lungs, they were going to die and it was his fault. It was always his fault, why couldn't he just—

_'Zuko.'_

_'NO! I CAN'T OKAY, I—'_

_'CHILD.'_ Vaatu knew he could seize control of the body and finalize this ritual, and in the moment, it was tempting; his vessel was losing his grip on reality and fighting his fear of inadequacy, ingrained into him from years of torture, opposed to rising against it. His intervention would solve one problem, but he feared the cost. _'You must focus, and you must breathe, or you will die.'_

_'I just— I, I just...'_

_'Breathe.'_

_'Yeah...'_ Short shallow gulps of air, that counts right? In, out, in, out... _'Okay, okay..'_ Zuko wasn't okay, he was okay, breath in and out. He could be okay.

_'Do you recall the murals painted in the entrance of these ruins?'_

_'Uhh..'_ Murals, paintings, right? Vague images of long-forgotten firebending.. _'Yeah it was, uh, a dance? Or, something… right?'_

 _'Yes child, that's correct. That is what they want from you.'_ Vaatu was slightly comforted by the attempt of coherence, principally a ruse, but minute progress all the same. 

"They uh, they want us to do that dragon dance thing..." Zuko murmured; half to himself, half to his cousin. 

Lu Ten blanched, wanting to question how the fuck would that solve anything but... right, the all knowing spirit living freely within his cousin. "Okay… the murals before we were trapped?" He received a jerky nod, which was close enough to a response. 

It wasn't like a better idea was on the table. An ancient firebending dance-kata was as good as anything. 

They moved in tandem, based off paintings glanced at briefly in passing, bodies supplying what the mind didn't; each step, each fluid gesture, as articulate as if they'd been training for this moment for a lifetime. Every movement they made was mirrored by the dragons; the two pairs moving in perfect balance of each other. When they ended the dance, fists pressed firmly against each other, the dragons came to a stop as well; each one paralleled, gripping to a respective side of the platform, heads looming far above them but eyes fixated on the humans below. 

These, these were the two humans Agni had chosen to revive their own within the human world. 

Neither Ran nor Shaw were particularly... _impressed_ ; 'a tad scrawny to be effective' thought one, 'the smaller one has anxiety' thought the other, but they'd witnessed the indisputable proof firsthand so who were they to question it farther.

These two would be the tilt that brought back their kin, and for their troubles… they would know. 

In perfect harmony both dragons reared their heads back, jaws widening as the purest fire known to this world, true dragon fire, engulfed the humans below; their odd human noises and babbling words cut short as knowledge of everything true to fire scorched away the inferior lies they'd been taught throughout their lives. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

After the eruption of dragon fire had ended, and the two masters returned to the safety of their solitude, there had been an unspoken unanimous agreement to just... sit down and rest a little bit. 

You know, gather strength for the impending trek back down the mountain; to try and rationalize what had just happened. Like, actually happened. That'd been a while ago, the sun had shifted in its path overhead, but it'd been a busy day and they deserved a nice little sit after not dying (several times).

"Soo..." Lu Ten began, then stopped; he had nothing, really, outside of a vague need to kill the silence. 

"Yeah." 

"That was..." 

"It was." 

Silence wasn't willing to go down without a fight. 

"Dragons." Zuko offered, after a stretch of time. 

"They sure were." Lu Ten agreed, because they were dragons. Two of them, not dead. Very alive. Dragons. "Hey did, Vaatu tell you about them?" 

Zuko’s face scrunched. "No. No he didn't." 

(Maybe if it had been said, Zuko wouldn’t have had a panic attack over the potential of disappointing them with his usual finesse.)

"What a prick." 

Snickering, Zuko chose to ignore the spirits griping over the statement. "Yeah, he can be a real dick sometimes." 

(Vaatu chose to ignore that as well. Just this once. To instead bring it up when it suited him; his vessel had a long day, just this once he could merciful.) 

"I guess we should get back down there..." Lu Ten said, unenthused with his own statement; down was easier than up, but a hike regardless. He really just wanted to take a nap.

"Yeah." Zuko mumbled, pulling himself to his feet. "I guess." 

The trip down was less arduous, but the haze of malaise still clung tight to volatility of what would be waiting for them below. Sure, they'd passed the dragon's judgement but what did that mean to the sun warriors? Their hostility had not been veiled, and it was deserved, just because the dragons had considered them worthy enough to grant the true meaning... did that matter? Did it count for anything? 

Apparently, it was the only thing that mattered. 

When the two emerged from the side of the mountain, back to the sanctum full of people, they were met with welcoming gestures and amiable faces. A fact that was more startling than anything else that'd happen; the baffling scene being unexpected was evident on their faces, as the Chief strode up and clapped a firm hand on each of their shoulders. 

(Zuko did not flinch and stop breathing, okay. He was fine, it was just a stupid hand. He was fine.) 

"Relax, if our masters have deemed you worthy then you are both welcomed guests in our city!" Meztli grinned, giving a firm squeeze to both Zuko and Lu Ten’s shoulders before dropping his hands; he hadn't missed the flinch, nor the steady tremble, that came from the younger boy from just the simplest (typically reassuring) touch. Meztli dared a glance at Lu Ten, noting the uncomfortable sad look on his face, and somehow felt worse; the look said this was a predictable reaction, unrelated to anything but the mere concept of touch, from was a mental wound yet to heal.

The scar alone suggested the wound had been bleeding out for quite some time. The boy was too young to have a fully healed burn of that magnitude... he didn't feel inclined to unpack that with scrutiny. 

(Knowing what little he did that scar was an escalation not an isolation, but he couldn’t coax himself to think too hard about it.)

"Come." Meztli cleared his throat, ignoring his lingering thoughts, and spared his guests the warmest smile he could muster. "Tonight, we celebrate and you two are expected to help." 

"To... help?" Lu Ten frowned, knowing damn well what was being implied but more than anything he just wanting a nap. It wasn't like he was that old, he was just tired okay it'd been a long day. 

Meztli grin grew, not completely in a nice way. "Of course, everyone contributes." 

"Hopefully you don't need me to cook." Zuko grumbled, arms crossed in defiance. "Unless you enjoy the taste of burnt." 

"Sounds like someone needs cooking lessons!" Atletl chirped, coming up behind them and latching on to Zuko's shoulders and pushing him forwards; blissfully ignoring his sputtering nonsense all the way. 

(She didn't trust allowing these two to work together and accomplish anything, and she knew she could coerce this one into doing her bidding. He was too scrawny to put up a fight.) 

(Much to her annoyance, he could and did put up a fight. Both verbally and pulling a very slick ‘dead weight’ maneuver she was almost impressed with. Not that it worked.) 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

"So, you're a terrible cook, you know that right?" Atletl stated grimly, while doing her best to scrape the second failed attempt at rice into the pail for the aardvark sloths; who in spirits name charred rice?!

"In my defense—" Zuko settled her a sincere look of trepidation that threatened to become a sulk, "—I said I couldn't cook." 

"Yeah but there's being unable to cook, and then there's... this." She motioned to the thick layer of lumped, unrelenting, black at the bottom of the pot; she wasn’t entirely sure it hadn’t fused with the metal.

"I assumed more heat would make it cook faster?" 

Atletl did not respond to that with verbalized words, she also didn't throw the pot at him, and for that she was very proud. "Uh huh, what're you... five?" 

"I'm fourteen and a half!" 

"Uh-huh. Let me guess, cooking is women's work?" The number of times baby-teens tried that claim on her; Atletl was gearing up to chunk the pot at him, hands gripping the handles tight.

"What?" Zuko gawked at her, like she'd insulted his honor. "Why would, I don't— what's that got to do with cooking?" 

Atletl gawked back at him with rival insult. "Then why can't you cook?" 

"Uhh..." Was not lying still in effect? What's a nice way to say he used to be royalty, or I was too busy sucking at everything to bother with food prep, or he was distracted by almost dying. Maybe just uhh.. "It never really, came up? But I can, I can learn?" Zuko offered quietly, watching his feet instead of making eye contact. "You just—if you show me, I… I’ll learn, I can do it.”

Atletl beamed; the opportunity to teach anyone how to do something was always a welcomed treat. "You betcha Zuko, but first!" She dropped the potentially destroyed pot in his lap. "Clean this first. I expect to see my reflection by the time you're done!" 

She left Zuko grumbling, grabbing the pot from her and inspecting his previous disastrous attempt at food, and ignored her as she sauntered off. 

When Atletl returned to the small side kitchen, after wandering around and informing her friends she’d taught the Avatar to earthbend via turning rice into coal, she'd had very low expectations (two pots of burnt rice would do that to a girl). What she hadn't anticipated was for the pot to be clean, as well as everything else that'd been dirtied in the process; the other burnt pot, drinking cups, utensils, bowls from breakfast that she'd adamantly promised to wash earlier with no intention of following through with, and the cookware from breakfast she'd made the same lie about cleaning. 

"Huh." Atletl grunted, looking as shocked as if a perfectly cooked pot of rice had been waiting for her return. "So you can't cook but you can clean?" 

"Duh, cleaning's easy." Zuko frowned, wondering if this was some kinda trap. 

(It was, just not the kind of trap he expected.) 

Half an hour later, it was formally decided they didn't have to cook and instead would be on washing duty; a decision that was made exclusively by her, on their behalf to everyone else. Because Zuko was good at meticulously distracting tasks, there were a ton of things needing to be washed already, and most importantly he had it all covered. Which meant she could just oversee it without contributing.

"So, Zuko—" Atletl started, from where she was leaning against the wall; distinctively not helping with anything remotely related to cleaning, instead claiming it was her role to fetch and return, a very strenuous task she was happy to burden herself with. "—How'd you end up with a great spirit? Are you really an Avatar?" 

"Uhh.." Zuko involuntarily tensed, unprepared for anyone to be this nonchalant about the whole thing; he glanced over his shoulder at her, trying to hide his unease and expecting a cynical look; he didn’t expect a look of nonchalance. Like it was just idle chit-chat. "I, uh, well I almost died? I guess. And, it sorta... happened?" 

"Wow you suck at telling stories." Leaning off that wall with an eyeroll, Atletl skirted closer to instead lean against a different wall that was closer to where he kneeled near the washing buckets. "How'd you almost die?" 

(Curiosity was poised to kill more than just felines.)

" _Really_?" Zuko scoffed, not bothering to dignify the bold question with so much as a glance.

Atletl frowned, getting pegged with a sudden feeling of regret. "Sorry, that's probably personal huh." 

Zuko mumbled something that sounded like ‘no shit you think’, while scrubbing an iron pot a lot harder than was necessary. "Whatever, it... it doesn't matter. My, uh, father I guess. Did this—" He gestured towards his face, "—It's—It was, as bad as it looks. No, I don't wanna talk about it." 

"Well fuck." 

He grunted in agreement (to the understatement of a lifetime).

"You gonna kill him?" 

" _WHAT??_ " Zuko yelped out, somehow startled despite the statement being as crass as everything else that came out of her mouth, dropping the pot with enough lift to splash water everywhere; eyes wide as he gawked at her like she grew a second head. 

"What?" Atletl scowled at him, hands flying to her hips. "You're gonna, right? I sure would." 

Zuko blinked in stunned silence, hands hovering frozen over the washtub from where they'd been holding a pot moments before. When his brain finally caught up with the statement, he couldn't do anything but laugh. Laughing harder when she looked at him like she was questioning his sanity. "I... I just, no one's ever said that? I mean, I guess my cousin but, otherwise." 

"Why in spirits name not?" Huffing, Atletl was offended on principle; she didn't even know him that well, wasn't even sure she approved of him as a person, but still! 

"Uhh, he's... my, father or whatever. He's kinda a powerful person." Mumbling, Zuko grabbed the pot as a distraction and scrubbed like his life depended on it. 

"So? Anyone who does that, to their own kid, deserves to be put down." 

"I... I agree. That's, um, that's the plan." 

"Well, good." Atletl sniffed, then blanched. "Wait what plan?" 

To that, Zuko grinned with all teeth and pure malice. "To end the Fire Lord, stop the war, and kill anyone who stands in our way." 

Listen just because their tribe, their people, had remained in solitude for hundreds of years, didn't mean they were completely out of the loop. They all knew of the raging war, they knew of the atrocities committed to almost an entire race, the slaughtering of the dragons, and they knew it was really just a matter of time before the war came to taint their own soil. 

To hear this said so fiercely, confidently, brought upon a wave of emotions Atletl didn't feel particularly inclined to name; comradery perhaps, vengeance, or maybe just excitement. Instantly, she rivaled the grin with her own. "You know what kid, I think I like you after all." 

"Uhh, thanks?" 

"Get back to scrubbing." 

Zuko scrunched his nose, glaring at her. "Whatever." 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

The feast was, as it always tended to be, a valiant combined effort of the entire tribe; a celebration more so than just a community meal, full of stories, dancing, elaborate firebending moves aimed at artful expression rather than functionality, and of course music and song. 

A warm-hearted display of rejoicing that always took place when their masters showed themselves, a display of togetherness for their people despite the cold realities burning the world around them; expressing their hope that one day the worldwide tragedy would finally come to an end. Allowing the newcomers, now seen as honored friends more so than feared enemies, to join in their lives and to properly venerate them for their roles in what was to come to fruition. 

Ocllo had slipped away from the festivities as Agni started lowering himself in the sky. Usually she'd spend the entire feast at the Chief's side; one side for his wife and daughter, the other for her and her own son (her apprentice, as it were). A sign of trust, dedication, and prestige that she never took lightly. However, this night as the sun fell, she could feel the beckoning at her very core.

Ran and Shaw had something to tell her, and one was wise to not make them wait. 

Her hand clutched lightly on the Chief's arm, grasping only once, before standing with a bow; he understood, of course, and offered her a nod. Meztli knew without asking where she was going, there were only three who could pull her from such an important ceremony and whatever the cause it was undoubtedly more significant. 

The sun was gone, replaced by the light of Tui, by the time Ocllo reached the bridge; a single pair of golden eyes already glowing from the depths of their den. 

"I'm coming, I'm _coming_." She mumbled; she was getting too old for this mountain climbing ordeal. This was exactly why she never did it on foot, but alas she couldn't exactly summon her friend to fly them up, not at moment, so the masters would just have to show patience for once. 

A huff of smoke rivaled the notion of patience; Ocllo ambled slightly faster to where Ran was lurking in the shadows, mumbling under her breathe at the excessive tetchiness. 

"A few more minutes won't be the end of the world." She gruffed out sternly, steadily heading into the darkness of their den's entrance. A statement that earned an uncalled-for tinge of warm fire in her direction; dragons, they could be so pretentious.

Ran grumbled, as if to prove some point, her head lying flat against the bottom of the stone cave entrance; towering body wrapping deep within the narrow tunnels leading down to their actual den, even flush against the ground her head was almost as high as the human standing before her. An impressive sight, a humbling interaction, and one that most of the tribe would never experience; direct contact with the dragons they protected was more sacred than anything else they held dear. 

Being called upon was never taken lightly, even when scolding words were said. 

As Ocllo came to a stop inches away, she placed a hand softly on the dragon's snout, Ran's long barbels slowly raised to press against her forehead in turn; hundreds of words and imagery pouring into Ocllo's mind in a stilted message. It was a jumbled form of conversation forged between two species with different dialects; similar enough in ingenuity and aptitude to have figured out means of communication centuries ago. 

Entire conversations boiled down to defining words and imagery to aid intent. 

The barbels and the hand were dropped in unison. "I see." Ocllo spoke softly, with a nod and a faint ghost of a smile. "I will speak with the young one regarding your request this evening." 

Ran seemed pleased enough with the answer, head drawing up as she receded into the depths of the mountain. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

The sun had been gone for hours now; the revelry was slowing but hadn't yet relented, and mercy had (finally) been shown via an offering of 'you two look like shit, why don't you call it an evening and get some rest?' and as insulting as that was... sleep sounded wonderful. 

Or at least a moment of solitude. 

The room they'd been offered to stay in was small and simple; barren stone walls, a small wash basin, a few floor cushions, a small chest, two petlatls, and a pile of bedding that was well-worn and soft to the touch. It was obvious most things took place communally, the room was intended mostly for sleeping; the only surprising fact was they were offered a room at all. 

All things considering, all that had been expected was a boot up the ass and a curt goodbye.

(The tribe had even gone as far as to offer part of a stable for the eel hounds; who were far less inclined to appear gracious about their forced-upon sleeping arrangements.)

The kind gestures weren’t taken lightly, and gratitude was offered humbly before Lu Ten and Zuko holed themselves up for the night under the guise of sleeping. 

Sleep was easier said than done. It had been, what felt like, several years wrapped up in a nice little gift that was nothing more than a single day; a fast passed, overstimulating, whirlwind kinda day that left nothing but exhaustion in its wake. Sleep should have been quick and easy, but like everything else it wouldn’t happen without a fight.

On, off, on, off, on, off—the fire in his palm was called upon, then extinguished, over and over. Zuko's flames were left this time, flaring in his open palm, a goofy lopsided smile on his face, while he felt an odd sense of tranquility tugging at his heart as he toyed with the fire. It'd changed after the dragons, from the typical orange to a near white with flickers of color. 

Lu Ten's fire had not changed nearly as much (he was _not_ bitter or anything); the orange was paler now, with the same glimmer of color, but the change was more subtle.

The only other person Zuko knew with drastically different fire was his sister. 

In a more tranquil mindset, Zuko might have tried to connect some dots. Maybe it'd dawn on him later after succumbing to sleep or in the morning after some much needed meditation, assuming the thought of altered fire crossed his mind again. Vaatu had noticed the variance of flame instantly, but sincerely doubted the child would ever think it of his own freewill. He knew bringing it up, current self-loathing still running rampant in every dark corner of his vessel’s mind, would be met with statements of deflection and denial. 

( _'I'm nothing special!'_ or the grating classic _'I can barely even firebend!'_ would be the expected answers to receive.)

For the time being, Vaatu would keep it to himself, albeit begrudgingly. Perhaps he'd be lucky, and the other related human would bring it up; judging by the content look but silent mouth on this cousin human, tonight would not be the night. 

_'You know I can feel you thinking right?'_

No, Vaatu did not know such things. _'Is that so?'_

Zuko hummed, still watching the fire flaring in his palm. _'I dunno what about, but I can feel a dull like, uhh, pressure? Sorta. It's weird.'_

 _'That is odd indeed child.'_ It was also news to Vaatu, and he was mighty curious as to why such things had yet to be mentioned. 

_'So...?'_

_'... I don't understand the context nor question, child.'_

_'So, like, what're you thinking so hard about?'_

Vaatu bristled, knowing a trap when he heard it; the truth would warrant denials and the child not sleeping in favor of cataloging every perceived instance of inferiority, a lie wouldn't be trusted. _'I was simply considering the change in your fire's appearance. Does it feel differently to you?'_

 _'Different? Uhh...'_ Did it? Zuko wasn't sure; he was, kinda, but not entirely sure? It felt different, warmer in a happy-fuzzy sort of way, but different in a way he couldn't put a word to; couldn't, or maybe wouldn't. _'Yeah, I think so.'_ He finally settled on. 

The spirit took that as the end of the discussion. He could press it, could hint or suggest, but to do would be futile regarding gain. For now, the answer of confirmed difference would be acceptable. Assuming his vessel slept tonight, Vaatu would put more consideration into the significance of the advancement then; while the child couldn’t, apparently, feel them thinking. 

There would be plenty of time for such conversations later; or perhaps someone else could plant the seeds? _'You have a visitor approaching child.'_

Zuko's fire extinguished just a few seconds before someone knocked on the stone archway of their room, the fur curtain being pulled back just slightly. "Apologizes if I disturbed you two, if willing I have something to discuss." Ocllo spoke softly, but firm, making it clear this wasn't really open for negotiation; she'd be speaking and they would listen. 

"Uhh..." Lu Ten mumbled out with a shrug, waving in a 'sure whatever' sort of way; glancing over, Zuko seemed equally indifferent to the (unnecessary) distraction of sleep. "Yeah, come in?" 

"Good good, this won't take long." Occlo noted, already pushing aside the draping and moving towards a cushion before they'd bothered to respond. "The masters have requested you two stay here for an extended time, until use of true firebending is more refined." 

The statement probably wasn't intended as an insult, probably, but it surely sounded like one. Then again, if it came from dragons it... no, it was certainly meant as an insult. A squint and a prickly glare from Zuko was given instead of a verbal response. 

Lu Ten gave another shrug, saying nothing; he wasn’t necessarily offended one way or another, and if he were to admit it he’d agree he’d become rusty. Almost two years of hiding your bending would do that to a guy.

"There is admittedly, a bit more for you to learn young Zuko." Ocllo looked at him with an intense look, as if trying to relay a deeper meaning to her words. 

"O-oh?" Zuko didn't appreciate looks like that; his track record with sharp scrutiny usually resulted in painful lessons for something he allegedly fucked up. He wasn't sure what he'd done this time, but apparently it was bad enough that he had even more to learn… great.

Ocllo chose to not offer soothing words; she didn't know what the sudden nervous posture was for, but one could assume it meant he was taking this seriously. As he should. (If she’d known… she may have been a bit gentler with her message.) "Yes. However I cannot elaborate unless you two decide to stay, but I will say it would be most beneficial to your Avatar training." 

Zuko said nothing, he couldn't; if he opened his mouth chances are he'd just scream. Instead, he just jerkily nodded.

Lu Ten noticed the reaction, would have loved nothing more than to tell the old woman off about further traumatizing his cousin, but knew better. Making a scene would get them, at best, kicked out which would be counterproductive if she were telling the truth. It’d also embarrass Zuko and he’d holler about not being weak then proceed to detach himself.

That didn't mean Lu Ten believed her about beneficial training, or whatever, just that it'd be easier to leave on their own terms. Opposed to being thrown out in the middle of the night. He offered her a smug shrug. 

"I'll leave you two to consider the offer amongst yourselves, please let me know the decision in the morning." With that Occlo rose, giving them both a farewell nod, before taking her leave. Weird boys; she had no idea what the spirits, nor her masters, saw in them but who was she to judge their whims. 

Lu Ten waited a few minutes, long enough for the old wolfbat to either be gone or for it to be creepy to still be lingering, before he focused his attention on his cousin. "So that was ominous, huh?"

"Yeah..." Zuko whispered out, eyes darting between him and the doorway, not trusting his voice at a higher volume. "Weird." 

"Should we stay?”

"Dunno." 

"Maybe ask your spirit buddy for guidance, or whatever he does." 

Zuko squinted, nose scrunching. "Or whatever." Not entirely inaccurate, honestly, but still. _'So... thoughts on whatever that was oh wise spirit buddy?'_

Vaatu did not appreciate this new title, however he could appreciate the oddity of such a silly interaction jarring the concerning thoughts that'd started upon receiving the odd look from the old human. _'I believe it is imperative we accept their hospitality until we are required to move to your next destination.'_

_'Is my firebending really that ba—'_

Vaatu chuckled in a sullen fondness, loud enough to cutoff that thought. _'No child, it is not. There are offerings here you will be unable to obtain anywhere else. It would be most foolish to decline such an opportunity.'_

_'Oh. Uhh, okay then. Do you—'_

_'I know not of the secrets she wishes to share; however I have assumptions that suggest staying here is a wise decision.'_

_'Right.'_ Zuko nodded, fixing a stern look to his cousin. "Vaatu says we should stay." 

Lu Ten grinned, nodding. "Then we stay and hope for the best."

Zuko nodded; still not entirely sure if this is a good idea. Vaatu thought it was, but…

“Plus I am a little rusty.” Lu Ten offered, in a softer voice; trying to make it seem idle for both of them, opposed to whatever it was they planned to dump on his cousin.

“Yeah.” Zuko brought his knees to his chest, wrapping one arm around them while keeping the other one extended enough to call fire to his hand. “I—"

“I swear to Agni—” Lu Ten glared, hand flexing to the side to grip his pillow, “—If you say anything about you being rusty too, I will smother you with this pillow."

(Vaatu would admit he was finding himself appreciating this related human just a bit more.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo uhhHH I contemplated nixing dragon interaction scenes entirely because I couldn't ~words~ with what to call their face bits. Anyways, after consulting with tequila, the wall I like to scream at, and my cory cats I'm going with barbels. Also known as tendrils (plants, though?) or whiskers (whiskers don't move like that, I asked my dog), but today they're barbels (or face bits on silly fish used for finding snacks).
> 
> Yes I could have just gone with tendrils but this is my fic and as I've stated before... I'ma just do whatever I want. 
> 
> Alsooo, the statue that's totally not-an-egg (jk... unless?) appears to be made of actual sunstone (a super pretty gemstone, shimmery rocks, google them you won't be disappointed) not to be confused with the golden not-a-gemstone sunstone from canon. Does this matter? Maybe, maybe not (suggestively).
> 
> Can y'all guess what's up, why they're here? It's obvious right? Clearly it's Zhao.
> 
> ...   
> (no I'm absolutely kidding that'd be terrible and after the decade that was 2020 I'm incapable of being that cruel.)
> 
> Anyways hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!


	7. What Lurks in the Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More secrets are uncovered while staying with the Sun Warriors, secrets that align with the wishes of the masters Ran and Shaw. Secrets that also involve a lot of homework. 
> 
> Lu Ten may or may not be jealous about it (he's not the only one with this big mood).

Agreeing to stay was a mistake.   
  
It wasn't like a real mistake; like a thing that'd follow you with a foreboding cloud of hesitancy and regret for the rest of your life, but in the moment, it still felt like a mistake.   
  
Every single muscle and joint in Zuko’s entire body ached; muscles he didn't even know he had were screaming.   
  
That is to say, prior to when the sun started to crest in the skyline, Zuko had been relatively confident he was in shape. For spirit's sake he could launch himself off platforms, scale buildings (or ships) with ease, perform a variety of complex bending forms (actual bending skill aside), not to mention he was even pretty good with dual dao! Deceptively, none of that meant anything and in the words of his father— that's what he got for thinking.   
  
He was not in shape.   
  
Zuko was achy, putting an effort into not appearing to be breathing heavy (firebending was about the breath, in through the mouth out through the nose, as long as he didn’t talk he could fake it), and disgustingly sweaty. He couldn’t imagine trying to move with fluidity and finesse in the bulky, uncomfortable, Earth Kingdom clothes they’d arrived in; those had been jeered first thing this morning, and replaced with the thin linen dhoti and a small mantle that barely covered their shoulders (something about sunburns).   
  
Worse yet, his hair (not fur) still wasn’t long enough to fully pullback; barely brushing his shoulders, but at least long enough to tie back half his hair so it didn’t hang in his face (not that half his face mattered, it wasn’t like he could really see out of the left eye). The rest of his hair, though, was plastered against his skin.  
  
It was terrible and he hated it.  
  
The only condolence to that, the horrifying ordeal of feeling undeniably-deniable fatigue, was the fact Lu Ten looked even worse for wear; at least Zuko was still standing. Lu Ten had, circa ten minutes ago, given up completely and just laid on the ground to wheeze-breathe and wave a dismissive hand at anyone who tried to get him to move.   
  
Lu Ten would have smugly added, had anyone bothered to ask, that perhaps having a nice cup of coffee (or two) in between meditation and training might have helped.  
  
(Nobody asked.)   
  
(Zuko had started to ask then someone who shall remain nameless—it was Atletl— antagonized him, and thus there was no coffee.)  
  
As it were, the true firebending forms were far more... all-inclusive and relentlessly bendy, than the ones they'd been taught back in the Caldera. These used a lot more movement (and flexibility), and a lot more muscles, than just sharp jerks and yelling did; maybe that's why the Fire Nation abandoned them all in the first place, too much exertion when brute force and rage was enough to accomplish their goals.   
  
It was far more in line with sword fighting than bending, which should have been fine. Zuko had been trained with swords, he regularly kept up with using the swords in question. However, he was not used to applying the same techniques alongside firebending.  
  
(There in lying the source of everything being terrible. This should have been a promising enlightenment instead of a vague awareness of everything being familiar yet still straining muscles he didn’t know he had.)  
  
(Part of him couldn’t help but wonder if all this tied into the reason fath—Ozai had forced him to abandon sword training shortly after his spark…)  
  
"I can't believe you two are giving up already." Atletl chided, looming over Lu Ten like he was a child (and relishing it) with a haughty grin; she'd barely even broken a sweat, not even a few stray hairs had escaped her ponytail.   
  
"I HAVEN'T GIVEN UP!" Zuko bristled, absolutely pretending like yelling that out hadn't required a follow-up gulp (or three) of air. "I'm just, this is—it’s just…” He didn’t know where he was going, so he stopped trying with a heated glare.   
  
"Uh huh." Atletl crossed her arms, indignantly, very much goading a response to continue where they abruptly left off a few minutes ago; shooting an arrogantly pleased look to the other two who had gotten roped into training the so-called newbies (their words). "You see this shit?"   
  
Taavi hummed, nodding and trying to look as all-knowing as he possibly could; realistically he was younger than the guy who'd apparently accepted death (Lutan? Lu Li? He hadn’t really been paying attention this morning and he was too afraid to bring it up now), but they had about the same build and he personally wasn't dying so he considered himself sagely enough to openly agree.   
  
"Aww guys go easy on them." Aapo quipped, pretending to scold his friends; he was slightly older, and in turn slightly knew better, but was choosing to not take the higher ground. Not because he was here to stir the pot (that was just a bonus), but because he still wasn’t entirely sure how he got suckered into training with teenagers in the first place. "They're from the Fire Nation, it's not their fault they're weak."   
  
"I AM NOT WEA—"   
  
"Uh huh." Atletl sang out, slinging a barely-broke-a-sweaty arm around Zuko's shoulders; poking his cheek because after dinner duty she considered them friends now, which meant she could do whatever she wanted. "Not a weak baby, uh huh. Why don't you prove it then hot shot?"   
  
Zuko was absolutely not going to set her on fire, but he was definitely going to think about it (he wouldn’t, ever, he knew… anyways, he’d still think about it). He took a deep breath through his nose, stoking his inner chi, letting it out through his mouth with a burst of flame.   
  
Not exactly intended (but appreciated) Atletl squeaked and jumped back to openly gawk; neither Taavi nor Aapo were in fire range, but they startled in equal astonishment. It wasn’t, unheard of for firebenders to breath fire; several of their elders could do it with ease. It was unheard of, though, for baby-teens (or teens, or young adults, if anyone had asked for specifics) to so casually breathe fire.   
  
"What was that—" Aapo pointed an accusatory finger in Zuko's direction.   
  
"—You can breathe fire?" Taavi claimed the braincell, finishing the thought for his friend, while gawking in a very dignified manner.   
  
"Uhh... yeah?" Zuko squinted, trying to find the hidden trap in their accusation.   
  
"What?" Lu Ten snorted out, still enjoying his break on the nice forgiving ground; not even bothering with the effort to budge an inch. "Like it's hard?"   
  
Was it hard?   
  
(Apparently, the vote was unanimously undecided. The thought was, they had been under the impression it was… perhaps it wasn’t?)  
  
"Can you teach us??" Atletl gushed, bouncing like an excited kid; a fact she'd never admit to if asked.   
  
"Yeah can you?" Aapo (absolutely didn't) whine out, giving his best begging weasel-fox eyes.   
  
Zuko scoffed, folding his arms and half-scowling at them. "I thought I was weak."   
  
"Naw!"   
  
"Never!"   
  
"They're just assholes, I never said you were weak!" Taavi turned against his friends without remorse. He could make new friends, but he couldn't learn how to breathe fire unless he waited who knows how long (weeks, months, years, until the Chief deemed him worthy, pft to that).  
  
Zuko leveled them a general glare, before shrugging. "If we break for coffee, then I'll think about it."   
  
Lu Ten let out a 'whoop' and disregarded his death bed to make a run for it before anyone could argue over the proposed break.   
  
(No one had planned to argue.)  


✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
Ocllo wasn't entirely sure what she expected from the first day of lessons, or what her she'd been told was 'day one of teaching fake firebenders how to bend correctly', but it had not been: five kids (teens... young adults, they were children in her humble opinion) running around breathing fire at one another, a large assortment of empty cups scattered around, a kettle, a bag of some sort of beans, her missing mortar and pestle (ah, that's where it ran off too), and an oddly shaped glass container with a net in it.   
  
Somehow, deep in her psyche Ocllo knew she shouldn't have been surprised by this scene. The youth were, after all, easily distracted.   
  
Somehow, she was still surprised. 

(Probably because no one was fighting nor maimed, nevertheless.)   
  
"So, I am to assume lessons are going well?" Ocllo asked, somewhat rhetorically, hands clamped behind her back while standing far enough from 'breathing' range.   
  
"Yeah!" Taavi chirped, with enthusiasm, slamming to a halt and snatching his new best friend by the arm to reel him in; shoulder to shoulder (friends rights to do so, in his humble opinion). "Zuko actually managed to teach us something!"   
  
"Hey!" The Zuko in question barked, appreciating nothing about that statement (nor the imposed touching); he gave a half-hearted glare for both offenses.  
  
"Who knew!" Aapo unhelpfully added, walking over to ruffle Zuko’s meager attempt at pulling back (some) of his hair and maximizing the obvious discomfort in all the touching; he’d noticed the skittish behavior of contact and Lu Ten’s hesitancy of forcing it anyways, so he’d personally accepted the responsibility of proper socializing the little teen. 

(It was like giving kids medicine. The relatives always felt bad so outside interference was always optimal for results. His opinion, anyways.)   
  
Ocllo gave them a general grunt of acknowledgement, along with a knowing sort of wise look that screamed passing judgement; the kinda look she's had decades to perfect, just like every other person her age, used when highly suspicious of behavior despite lacking evidence. "How nice." She added, with a curt little nod.   
  
Listen it wasn't that she had an issue with the youth getting along, quite the contrary it was beneficial. Their two new faces needed to learn (relearn, whatever the case may be) and what could better than doing so with those whom were around the same age. Plus the little Avatar was young and jumpy, being around more people his age would do him good (or it wouldn't, that wasn't particularly her problem to sort out).  
  
However, she had shit to do aside from drag the little Avatar in question around the island and thanks to the new budding friendships it took her two hours to hunt them down; because apparently the formally used training area wasn't good enough and they'd skittered off to a different once, hence her suspicions. So if she was a bit short, they'd just have to get over it.   
  
"Are you ready for a break young Avatar?" Ocllo was nice enough to phrase it like a question, but the flat expression on her face suggested the 'break' wasn't open for debate.   
  
"Uhh..." Zuko, somehow, looked more awkward than he had before, visibly tensing at the very idea of an adult giving him a look like that; had he fucked something up, broken some unspoken rule? At least it wasn't the Chief or some father figure. When exactly his thoughts turned septic enough for his body to react with shaking, he couldn't tell but a hand on his back (from someone, why were people so adamant about touching him) both grounded him and caused his thoughts to fizzle out. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to—to, uhh, do whatev—"   
  
"You've done nothing of concern," Ocllo stated as calmly as possible, "There's just much to show you, and only you, as soon as possible."   
  
"Oh, uhh, okay." Zuko didn't trust what she said, his track record suggested he must have done something that caused concern even if she wouldn’t admit it, but at least she'd have him killed alone; that'd be more tolerable than having an audience. He tossed a quick glance to Lu Ten before shuffling after the old woman; an unsure look of goodbye, uncertainty, or possible indigestion.   
  
Lu Ten had no idea what the look was supposed to convey, so he did the only rational thing that came to mind: offered a lopsided smile and a thumbs-up.   
  
The gestures did not make Zuko feel any better.   
  
It continued not making him feel better as he followed dutifully down a path deeper into the lush forest that covered most of the island; at least he'd be dying in a scenic place, much better than a stone platform in front of everyone.   
  
Once some distance had been out between the two and the city, Ocllo finally broke the heavy silence they'd been walking in. "I wish to tell you a story young Avatar. Parts of it I'm sure you know, but I doubt the... Fire Nation has recounts of the full tale." She was using her favorite friendly elder ‘storytime’ voice; not that it was working to calm the teen down at all.  
  
"Uhh, okay? Sure... thank you." Zuko mumbled, still watching the ground like he expected it to suddenly open and swallow him (not because he was avoiding eue contact or anything).   
  
"As you probably know, the very first children of Agni were the dragons. They existed long before the humans were created, and as such they were the first true firebenders. When we humans came into existence, we were unable to bend the elements on our own. The elements were temporary gifts bestowed upon us by the lion turtles, their backs were where our original homes were safely located to keep us safe from the spirits. Eventually, we were gifted the elements once humans took to living freely in the wilds. Once our ancestors were given the gift of flame, the dragons became our masters." Ocllo paused, saying nothing but not missing the wide eyes of the nodding teen; almost surprised by the sudden focus on her (since he’d thus far been aloof at best), "This was considered the most honorable means of learning firebending, considered a privilege by most, up until the era of Sozin. After that, the dragons were hunted to near extinction due to man's hubris. I assume none of this comes as a surprise?"  
  
Zuko swallowed hard, guilt ridden by knowing it was his family that caused this, and shook his head. "No it's, um, not. I knew of the dragon hunts, and Vaatu he's told me of the time before— before Raava merged with... Wan? The first, Avatar. So, I know."  
  
Ocllo nodded, glancing back towards the path; she hadn’t necessarily needed more confirmation of this child being Vaatu's vessel, but she still appreciated it. "You and your cousin are the first outsiders to learn true firebending since the dragons were driven into hiding. Well—" She paused, hesitating for a brief moment; the man was clearly from the same nation, had seemed kindly enough, though the masters had rumblings of a slanderous title being thrown about..."—I suppose outside of one other several years back."   
  
"What do you mean?" For some unknown reason, the offhanded remark made Zuko uneasy. "What did he— was he old? Short, long grey... no, wait, did he drink a lot of tea?"   
  
Ocllo gave him a very hard glance; eyes appearing, almost, leery by his rambling words. As if she was regretful, for either mentioning it or what his questioning could possibly mean. Her mouth opened, words readying, but Zuko's hands waving wildly drew them back.   
  
"I mean— I just." He squirmed, avoiding eye contact again like he was caught red handed. "He's... that's my uncle, I don't think he'd do anything? Especially if he, um, said he wouldn't. It just. Uhh... Did— did he learn, from..." Zuko's voice trailed off quietly, words jumbling. 

The response was a hum, and a more scrutinized look. Ocllo had not known of the relation, it didn't change anything really, but it was something to... remember. 

(Isolated or not, the sun warriors still had points of contact with the outside world. The rise of the 'Dragon of the West' had not gone unnoticed.) 

If uncle wanted to slay the dragons, he would have already done so; Zuko knew this. It had been claimed publicly in open court, bragging and taking the moniker of 'Dragon of the West'. The hurtful part, the embedded knife that twisted once again, was uncle had been here. Uncle had danced with the great masters, knew of the true meaning of fire, and while Zuko had been burned and terrified of his own fire never once was this mentioned.   
  
Not once was comfort offered that fire wasn't supposed to be terrifying; it was life, it was supposed to be fueled by passion and drive, not torture and rage. Uncle had simply tried to use metaphors, to trust the flame, and drilled him on the same basic forms that he'd been previously punished for screwing up time and time again.   
  
The wrench of the knife, the pang in his heart, did nothing but solidify his choice in fleeing was the right one to make; though quiet, he could feel Vaatu stirring, a warm dull feeling that felt reassuring. Like a silent agreement.   
  
"I, um, don't think you have to be worried about him returning." Zuko's voice was small, but held firm. "Not for any reason."   
  
Ocllo wasn't slow by any means; experienced enough with life to know there was a great deal hidden behind such a little statement. She was also wise enough to know not to press. "Well the masters are not the last of the dragons, you know. Even he wasn't privy to—"   
  
"Wait— WHAT?" Zuko's voice came out as a near yelp, stumbling over his own feet; mouth gaping to say more but the stern look had him swallow anything he might have said. "Sorry."   
  
"As I was saying, there are more dragons left. More importantly, there is a trove of unhatched and hibernating eggs. Our masters keep them warm but no life stirs inside them. As our traditions state, every year Ran and Shaw give us a new egg of which we pay honor, praying to the great spirit of Agni to bless it with life. In a hundred years, only one egg has hatched, and the little drake has had no human contact since coming into this world. He's been isolated, waiting for the one of which he'll bond."  
  
"Why are—" Zuko stumbled over his words awkwardly, knowing, somehow, where this was going but needing to hear the answer, "Why are you telling me this?"   
  
"I believe you know the answer already child. Tell me," Ocllo's eyes snapped to him, focusing on the emotions flickering behind his eyes like a fire roaring to life. "When did the spirits bring you to Vaatu?"   
  
"Uhh..." Zuko's eyes clenched shut, breathing becoming irregular and harder to manage; the answer was easy, he knew when, it was burned into his face how could he ever forget? Time didn't heal the hurt left behind, though, he had to wonder if he'd ever be able to talk about it without the fear of detaching himself from his body. "It was, umm, when I was thirteen? So maybe, a year and— a year and something ago."   
  
"That would be around the time the egg ignited on it's pedestal," Ocllo spoke quietly, feeling remorseful over bringing it up; it'd have been impossible to know what the union of human and spirit had been tied to, obviously it was something so traumatic. Something as life changing as the scar that would define the boy for the rest of his life. She should have assumed. "Apologies for forcing you to relive the ordeal, however you managed to rise up from it and with you we've been blessed with the first dragon in almost one hundred years. He's been waiting for you for several months while being reared by the dragon bonded to my bloodline, Yasu."  
  
"What?" Zuko's voice was distant, but rang of curiosity; he couldn't make eye contact yet, his eyes still unfocused with the effort to tether his mind to his body. 

(It was fine, he was safe, it couldn't happen again. It could, it could easily happen again, but he... Ozai couldn't do it again, so it was fine.)   
  
"For her troubles, though I assure you she isn't that bothered, she has a request of you in exchange." Ocllo smiled, though it was strained with hurt. "Their numbers have been deminished greatly, many have taken to refuge on this island but there are little hidden places scattered across the continents. Yasu has been separated from her own partner since the war began, neither unable to safely travel the distance to reunite."  
  
"What am I— what does she want from me though?" Zuko frowned; how was he supposed to fix this?   
  
Ocllo offered a knowing glance, a smart little smirk. "Nothing far from your current plans child. She wishes you to end the war. Renounce the hunts, and protect her kind so they may take to the skies once more."   
  
"Oh." Zuko fidgeted; obviously that was the plan, end the war by any means necessary. The added weight of draconian expectation really wasn't necessary. "I mean, um, yeah that is— that's our goal, it has to end. At the, uh, very least."   
  
Ending the war was really only the beginning, which went without saying.   
  
"That's all we ask of you," Ocllo offered a fond smile, knowing he would and if anything could be done this boy would be the one to see it through (stubborn, so very stubborn). "So, are you ready then?"   
  
"For..."   
  
"To meet the dragons of course." Ocllo turned just enough to squint at him, "What, did you think this was a distraction while I brought you here to kill you?"   
  
Zuko froze, and said nothing.   
  
Ah... well then (moving on).   
  
Ocllo hummed, nodding and having not a single thought as to how to compartmentalize how her joke was apparently an actual concern. "I'll take that as a yes then—" She pointed towards a split off from their current path, heavily overgrown and easy to miss if one wasn't looking for it, "—follow the trail until it ends, there they will find you."   
  
Zuko glanced at the trail (if he could even call it that), taking a few steps towards it before pausing; noticing she was in fact not following after him, he turned back towards her with a sudden pang if anxiety. "Uhh... I'm... going alone?"   
  
"Indeed—" Ocllo gestured at him in a shooing motion, "—I'll wait here, now go before you cause offense."   
  
Offending dragons would be par for the course, Zuko's life's story if anyone were ever to ask, he did not say; instead just jerkily nodding and heading down the suspicious path he wasn't entirely sure wouldn't, somehow, despite reassurance, be the death of him.  
  
The ominous little winding path eventually dead-ended into a small clearing, silent and foreboding; it was very much the place one would expect something horrible to make it's presence known right before it killed you.   
  
(Something like a dragon.)  
  
In hindsight, Zuko should have been expecting that to happen. For a dragon to appear. He was told, in no uncertain terms, that was going to happen.   
  
That fact wasn't enough to stop him from shrieking when, low and behold, a giant fucking dragon just slinked out of the trees; how something that big, head higher than the treetops when she finally straightened herself to full height, could be that quiet was a mystery.   
  
He may or may not have shrieked about that as well.  
  
(May the iguana parrots he woke into a frenzied escape forgive him.)   
  
The dragon, who must be Yasu, just stared him down with what he assumed was underwhelmed judgement; a small puff of smoke coming from her nose with narrowing eyes.   
  
The feeling was very much not mutual.   
  
Zuko was damn near vibrating; she was huge (not like the masters were, but still way bigger than he expected despite not knowing what to expect), her scales were a pearlescent silver with an underbelly of pale gold, and all he really really wanted to do was reach out and pet her. See if she was real or just a figment of his imagination.   
  
He didn't, because he was a notoriously slow learner but he wasn't stupid. Dragons were temperamental, fire-breathing, and (turns out) very very big.   
  
That didn't stop him from wanting, though.   
  
"Umm.." Zuko hesitated, fiddling with his hands in front of his chest; he knew from history books that dragons were insanely intelligent, even capable of communicating with the humans they'd bonded with, but this wasn't his dragon so he was at a loss of what to do. "Can you, uh, understand me? I am, uh..."  
  
The dragon looked upwards to the sky, then back at him with her head tilted to the side; if she wasn't judging him before, she very obviously was now.   
  
(Yasu was, in fact, judging this tiny bite-sized human with great scrutiny. This? This was the human her elders had chosen?? This one? It couldn't even words properly, yet she is expected to pass the fledgling she raised to him?)   
  
(She would, because it was asked of her, but that wouldn't stop her from intimidating him, mercilessly, first.)  
  
The human apparently had nothing more intelligent to add, so she was nice enough to offer him some encouragement via a snorting-huff of dragon fire. What Yasu had not expected was for the human to react with an enthusiastic grin, taking a deep breathe and then breathing fire as well.  
  
She blinked.  
  
Zuko blinked, before fidgeting again.   
  
If there was ever a time it'd pay to understand what was expected of him, Zuko really wished it were now. "I, guess that's not what you expected. I, um, no one told me what I was supposed to do?"   
  
Yasu, equally, had no idea what this human was supposed to be doing; her own human had said he'd be brought here, and that her young ward was to be his. Apparently, this interaction was on her because this human was nothing more than an awkward little hatchling; confused and fumbling... he would pair well with the young dragon who just yesterday got his head stuck in a mink-hare hole.  
  
With one more steady glare pointed at him, Yasu's head tilted to make a series of noises aimed into the dense trees; grumbles and growls that, while loud and imposing didn't resonate as threatening, in a way it almost sounded soothing (encouraging?). For just a moment Zuko started to relax, assuming he must have done something right enough, only to hear the distinct sound of something moving fast through the trees.  
  
Instantly relaxing feelings gone.  
  
By the time Zuko's brain could start to analyze his surroundings and consider the best escape route, a blur of chirping reds and yellows came bolting from the trees; his breath caught, and for a lack of knowing what else to do, he froze. Momentarily forgetting how to breathe.  
  
First out of fear, then out of bemusement, and settled on staying petrified out of a combination of the two.   
  
The red blur was clearly the baby dragon; it was still far far smaller than Yasu’s looming form, bouncing around her legs with flapping wings and snapping jaws, looking every bit like a poodle-pony puppy that wanted to play. It was precious, it made Zuko's heart clench, but he didn't dare move; out of fear of somehow fucking this up, and fear of what Yasu would do when he did.   
  
Apparently doing absolutely nothing was still not enough to break the revelry.   
  
As quickly as the little dragon had appeared and started begging for attention, it was stopping dead in its tracks to stare at him wide-eyed; pausing long enough to consider it's first interaction with a human.   
  
The situation at hand was not unlike one of a parent overseeing an awkward play date between very young children. Only one was a fifteen year old (rounding up by... whatever, it counted okay) Avatar and the other was a three month old baby dragon, and the parent in question was a nearing hundred and fifty years old Yasu who was steadily losing her patience with the gawking deadlock.   
  
The slipping tolerance of letting the two 'children' figure it out on their own, lead to rapid chain of events:  
  
Yasu lost interest in the impasse, bumped the fledgling forward with a well aimed foot-nudge, the baby dragon made a strangled noise and did his best to puff up and look bigger than he was (be intimidating!!), Zuko made some noise caught between a sob and a laugh, the dragon huffed out fire, Zuko made assumptions and breathed out fire in response, the ugly two-legged-but-fire-breathing dragon was instantly-and-officially deemed friend and thus launched at with vigor, Zuko screamed and tripped over nothing, landing on his back with a suddenly very interested chattery little dragon perched happily on his chest.   
  
Yasu blinked, tilting her head upwards to glare at the sun; extremely unimpressed with this entire ordeal.   
  
(They were dragons, after all, they should have some dignity even in youth.)   
  
(She most certainly never behaved in such a manner.)   
  
The fledgling chittered, paused to tilt his head in confusion, made a few more noises then turned to stare at (what he considered to be) his mother; unsure of why the weird looking squishy dragon was wordlessly grinning at him... wordlessly? Did he not understand dragon?   
  
Yasu gave a look of pure exasperation, somehow without the facial dexterity to formally do so, and simply wiggled her barbels (the draconian equivalency of a coughed hint).   
  
Oh.   
  
Oh!   
  
Yes. She had mentioned, squishy dragons weren't smart enough to understand their words! They would have to make bonds to commute with them; yes yes, he could do that! Whirling his head back to the comfy squishy dragon (what had she said... himan? Humen... peeple? That sounded right) he flopped down and promptly smacked the peeple in the face with both his barbels; instantly a feeling of warm comfort rushed through both of them, almost jarring with it's novelty, and dozens of blurred images and a sting of garbled words.   
  
Only one word seemed to be on loop: Druk. 

_(Druk, Druk, happy, Druk, an image of a tasty bug he ate, Druk!, the scary hole he got stuck in, Druk, Druk.)_  
  
"Is that your name?" Zuko whispered, unmoving outside of his mouth; not that he really could, the little dragon wasn't that big compared to the other dragons he'd seen, but splayed across his torso it was enough to pin him down. "Druk, is that your name?"   
  
The dragon chirped, bolting upright then bouncing off in a zigzagging circle; his peeple, himan— no it was human, he heard, they had understood one another! He'd done it correctly and his human-dragon had understood him!   
  
Zuko dragged himself upright, smiling from ear to ear because he couldn't help it and he couldn't care less right now; he had a dragon?? "Druk." He said it, because he could, and caught the dragons attention with it; somehow he smiled more. "Druk Druk, Druk."   
  
Druk trilled, and tackled him to the ground again.   
  


✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
  
At current height, Druk's head came just about to Zuko's knees; he was mostly leg at this point and his wings were mostly for show, offering at best of times the ability to glide, a fact shown every time a large rock or short tree offered enough clearance for an opportunity to show off.   
  
It made for a slow return to the where Zuko had been left to venture on his own, between the constant distractions and the feeble attempts at gliding; Druk was very much a baby still and Zuko didn't have the heart to try and rush him along.   
  
You only got the chance to be an adolescent once, a luxury he himself had very little of; a few years sure, until Azula started purposefully bending when he was five, and he suddenly became the family fuck up.   
  
Childish zealously was not something he'd deny Druk, not ever.   
  
How exactly he'd do that, Zuko wasn't sure. There was a war raging outside the sanctity of the hidden civilization, one with a cruel people who'd jump at the opportunity to slay a dragon to claim a trivial title; Druk wouldn't be safe out there, especially not while he was so small. Was the plan just to create a bond between them then keep the dragon here for his own safety?   
  
That would be shrewd, but the very notion brought him an abrupt wave of grief he didn't really understand yet.   
  
Zuko's dimming thoughts were shaken by a sudden thud, followed by a garbled holler. His thoughts switched gears to duress while bolting towards the noise, skidding to a stop in the open trail only to find Druk squawking and posturing at Ocllo; wings flapping and front legs bowed out in a tenuous attempt at looking bigger than he was.   
  
"So this must be the little one." Ocllo nothing short of cooed, earning another affronted set of chattering noises; she shifted the set of scrolls in her arms to get a better look at the dramatic little display of intimidation (it wasn't effective, but it was adorable). "He's quite... fearsome, aren't you."   
  
"Druk."   
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"His name is Druk." Zuko offered, bluntly, with a wary eye.   
  
"Ah." Ocllo nodded, noticing the prickly tone but ignoring it, "I see the two of you have managed to bond then."   
  
"Yeah, thanks for the explanation." Zuko muttered, extremely accusatory.   
  
"Well if you couldn't figure that much out you'd hardly deserve the honor of doing so!" She quipped, shooting him a very petulant stare; ignoring his sputtering nonanswer of a response. "What's important is it's happened, and now the fun part can begin!" Ocllo beamed, all but shoving the collection of scrolls into his arms.   
  
"What?" Zuko gawked, fumbling with the armload dumped on him as she toddled off; not bothering to linger anymore than she already had, not bothering to explain why he was now holding a ton of scrolls. He didn't exactly do great with vague explanations (often he didn't do great with detailed instructions...).   
  
"Educate yourself child!" Ocllo waved an arm, as if to solidify the statement. "You can't take those with you when you leave the island, so you best know how to write!"   
  
What?   
  
"What?" Clutching the armful of scrolls more securely, Zuko hustled to catch up to her (not that she was walking that fast, but he was rightfully distracted); Druk scampering after them, then presumably eyeing something and bounding ahead of them and back into the trees.   
  
"What?" Ocllo repeated back to him, an eyebrow raised as she eyed him.   
  
"Uhh.." Zuko swallowed, glancing down at the scrolls then off to the trees where Druk had just disappeared. "Educate myself on... what?"   
  
"Dragon care of course." Ocllo noted with a wave of her hand; like this was blatantly the most obvious thing ever. "How else will you know what to expect? He won't stay this small for much longer."   
  
"Wait..." Zuko stopped, gawking at her like she'd lost her mind. "He... he's not, umm, staying here?"   
  
At that Ocllo paused, turning back around to stare at him like he'd grown a second head. "Why would he stay here once you depart?"   
  
Why in spirits name wouldn't Druk stay here, Zuko didn't say. Because clearly, judging from her scandalized expression, that wasn't going to happen. "Because there— there's a war, and I mean I, uhh— I'm going to have to, once I master the other elements..."   
  
"We are well aware of this." Ocllo noted somberly, eyes glancing in the direction of snapping twigs and chattering noises, "It would be safer for young Druk to stay here but neither of you will find true solace in the distance, not at his age, and truthfully he must experience life outside our walls. A dragon raised with naivety will do it no favors, less they lack the knowledge required to defend themselves."  
  
" But Yasu—"  
  
"Yasu was born here but you underestimate her age." Ocllo said, followed by a sigh. "I am the third of my family she has bonded with, and while she was born on this island she traveled much before living in isolation. She was, incidentally, the last of Fang's own before his life was cut short."   
  
"Fang..." Zuko whispered whilethe scrambled to remember why that sounded so familiar; something he should know without hesitation. "Wasn't that..." He trailed, the answer on the tip of his tongue.   
  
"Avatar Roku's dragon?" Ocllo offered, with a sad little excuse for a nod. "Yes, that was Fang."   
  
"Is Druk..."   
  
"We can't be for certain, but it's unlikely they're kin. This used to be a preferred nesting ground for the dragons, but when the hunts gained favor there were..." Ocllo trailed, voice growing weak as theor walk was bringing them closer to their village, "There were countless abandoned nests, few dragons managed to return. The masters asked we gather any viable eggs left behind. The eggs are kept in a vast brazier deep in the mountains these days, warm but unmoving, but perhaps one day more will hatch, yes?"   
  
"Yeah..." Zuko's voice was tiny, less the skepticism leach out, his eyes darting to the buildings just up ahead, then back towards the surrounding forest; just in time to watch Druk tumble out, chewing on something unknown that was undoubtedly alive moments ago.   
  
"Now then, enough of this dreary talk," Ocllo smiled, slapping a firm hand on his shoulder, "At least one dragon has hatched, and you child have much reading to do!"  
  
"Right." Zuko grimaced, shuffling the scrolls again as he walked towards an open area with the room to spread the scrolls out.  
  
An area where he dropped every single one of them with a yelp as Lu Ten screamed. "ZUKO... IS THAT A FUCKING DRAGON?!?"   
  
The chorus of shouts and squeals erupting from everyone else suggested there would be very little reading accomplished today.   
  


✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
  
Zuko had managed to read absolutely nothing on any of the scrolls throughout the day.   
  
He'd managed to get as far as opening one but then someone else would wander by, or Druk found something to get into, then Udon had wandered by and was insistent this little dragon was now her pup and it's taken two hours to (kinda) convince her otherwise. Then it was time to prepare dinner...   
  
"Ughh!" Zuko absolutely didn't groan out, flopping in defeat on his petlatl; huffing all the air out of his lungs with an 'oof' as Druk enthusiastically took advantage of the opportunity and lept onto his chest.   
  
"Tired little cousin?" Lu Ten crooned, grinning like an asshole while looming over him. "I thought youth brought endless stamina for being awake?"   
  
Zuko scowled up at him, not dignifying the statement with a verbal response; he earned a cackle for his trouble.   
  
"I'm not tired, I'm just..." Grumbling, Zuko idly ran his fingers through the short tuffs of fur along Druk's back, "It was a lot to... whatever, in a day. I didn't even get the chance to read or anything."   
  
Lu Ten hummed, shaking out his blanket before dropping it on his own mat to instead sit down next to Zuko. "We're not planning on leaving tomorrow or anything, there's still plenty of time you know?" He offered, flopping on his back to bump their shoulders together.   
  
"I know, I just." Zuko wasn't sulking, really. "It's important, and stuff."   
  
"Yeah yeah, I know." Lu Ten tilted his head to better watch the little dragon (a whole ass baby dragon!) did his best to curl up on his cousin's torso. "But, there's time so there's no reason to stress out about it already." A bold statement, as if he were the one with a dragon he'd be acting any differently; he wasn't the one with a dragon, though, so he'd pretend to be the voice of reason instead.   
  
Zuko hummed in favor of a response, smiling fondly at Druk as the little dragon settled and his breathing started to slow, before his face fell to a pained frown. "Did you, um— did you know uncle, your father, he's uh... been here?"   
  
"Huh?" Lu Ten eyes narrowed. "My dad? Here?"   
  
"Y—Yeah," Zuko swallowed nervously; suddenly unsure about bringing it up, "That's what, um, that's what Ocllo said. Dunno when, exactly, but before he came back to the palace after you, uhh, didn't... die, or whatever."   
  
"Huh." Lu Ten face darkened as he glanced down to his lap; that... that was something he didn't really know what to do with. It did explain the whole 'Dragon of the West' title he'd heard rumors about, which offered exactly zero comfort. "Did he, uh, you know..."   
  
"No." Zuko shook his head, glancing back to Druk. "She said he met the masters, learned about fire from them, but he didn't— he, uhh, didn't. Said he said never would, and then he left."   
  
"Do they know we're all related?" Lu Ten wasn't sure why that mattered, but for some reason it did.   
  
"Uhh, yeah. I kinda... mentioned it."   
  
"Oh."   
  
Zuko nodded in agreement. "Yeah I— sorry? She seemed, surprised but didn't... say anything about it. But I just..." His voice trailed off with a ragged, weary, breathe. "I mean I know I was like an asshole after the— the..." He swallowed, "The thing, and pretty angry, but he never. He never said or like, suggested this." He said, while waving a hand to gesture around him.   
  
"Yeah..." Lu Ten's frown stuck, glancing around for no particular reason before his eyes settled back in his lap, at a loss of what to say to that. Deep down he didn't want to think the worst of his father, he didn't, because the man had always been so supportive and nurturing to both himself and his cousin; to a degree even Azula, at least until the obvious favoritism took a malicious turn. "I can't speak for him, but I think... I think—" He didn't know what to think, how to even try and justify anything that may have been happening, "— I hope it was just, due to uncertainty? Of what to do, or how to help."   
  
"Yeah... I guess."   
  
"But—" Lu Ten looked back up, offering a small smile and an arm wrestled under and around Zuko's shoulders, "—It doesn't matter much now, right? We're here, you've got a dragon— which I'm totally jealous of by the way— and while I have no idea what I'm doing, I've got your back."   
  
"Yeah?" Zuko perks up at that; he'd known that, probably, but hearing it was... nice. It was assuring.   
  
"Yeah! Regardless of what stupid harebrained thing you do—"   
  
"Hey!!"   
  
"—I mean it!" Lu Ten beamed, all teeth and sass but regardless he meant it, "I'm not going to abandon you or whatever."   
  
"Uhh, thanks.. I guess?" Zuko frowned, bordering on a scowl.   
  
Lu Ten hummed, nodding with the acceptance. "You'd better be thankful, because you are definitely the Prince of dumbassery."   
  
"I take everything back, you're an ass and I hate you." Zuki stated, deadpan and with a scowl.   
  
"Sure you do," Lu Ten chirped, while waving his free hand and extinguishing the flames from their two lanterns, "Now go to bed before you get all cranky."   
  
"I am not—" Zuko squabbled, "—You're an ass."   
  
"Yup, goodnight Zuko."   
  
"Whatever."   
  
Their small room fell into an almost silence; filled with nothing but the sounds of Lu Ten moving to his own bed, the quiet breathing of a sleeping Druk, and the intermittent muffled noises from outside as people busied themselves with their nightly routines.   
  
Zuko was tired, technically, but his mind still churned despite himself.   
  
Eventually, the prospect of rest was lost. _'Hey Vaatu? Are you, uh, around or... listening, I guess?'_  
  
 _'Of course child, busying myself becomes quite daunting when your thoughts become turbulent.'_  
  
 _'My thoughts aren't— I'm not...'_  
  
Vaatu hummed, disregarding the excuse offered; they both know that's all that it was. _'What is troubling you.'_  
  
 _'I dunno... I'm just.'_ Zuko's words dwindled off; the room was dark and he couldn't really see anything, but it didn't stop him from glancing over towards his cousin, then back at Druk still mostly laying across him. _'Today was just a lot, and I'm worried about... stuff.'_  
  
 _'Stuff...?'_ Such a vague human word, meaningless and quite deflective. _'Such as?' Vaatu attempted to coax._  
  
 _'Yeah like, how could they just trust me with a dragon? The first in basically, forever! And, and, expect me to drag him into war were he could be killed. My uncle he's— he's been here too! What am I supposed to...'_ Zuko stopped, having no idea where that thought was even going with his runaway thoughts.   
  
_'Ahh, I see.'_ The spirit hummed, _'You feel overwhelmed by the unknowns, the things you have no control over.'_  
  
 _'I mean, I guess...'_  
  
 _'What is done is done, you cannot change it nor can you currently ask for clarification on these matters. Let me ask you instead—'_ Vaatu paused, taking a moment to ensure he actually had his vessel's attention, _'— Do you question the dragon masters choices they've made?'_  
  
 _'I, uh, well... no? I mean...'_ Zuko frowned into the darkness, barely resisting the urge to wrap his arms around the sleeping Druk, for some form of comfort; he didn't, if only not to wake the dragon up. _'I think they know the... maybe, consequences for what they decided. Probably.'_  
  
Vaatu stirred slightly, attempting to be reassuring. _'Then, there's no cause for questioning them. They are aware of what may happen, and have deemed you trustworthy enough to minimize the risk. Everything else is inconsequential and not worth dwelling on.'_  
  
 _'You... you think so?'_  
  
 _'I do not make the habit of lying, nor would I do so to you.'_ Vaatu sniffed, considering being insulted by the notion. _'I believe it's best you attempt to sleep child, your blood relation was quite right— you do get cranky when you don't sleep enough.'_  
  
 _'I do NOT get cranky!'_  
  
 _'You're behaving quite cranky already.'_ Vaatu pointed out, without a shred of mercy.   
  
_'You're both terrible.'_ Zuko huffed out; absolutely not being cranky about it.   
  
(He did at least, manage to fall asleep. After some chastising on Vaatu's part.) 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  
  
The next several months passed in a frenetic blitz, which had far less to do with the firebending and everything to do with the concept of coexisting with a young dragon.

Disassembling everything known about firebending should have been harder, in theory, but being driven by spite was a powerful motivator to forget what was previously taught; at least what was taught from the “master benders” back at the palace, anyways.   
  
No the fire was easy, it was the dragon that was convoluted.

If it had just been studying the countless scrolls and taking notes, everything would have been easy enough; just lounging in the sun and reading, making note of anything meticulously important. 

Nothing was ever easy, though. Ever. Every single time Zuko would get a few sentences in, chaos would erupt. 

(There was undoubtedly some irony in that, but he chose to ignore it.)   
  
Sometimes it was Druk finding some new marvelous thing he had to try and eat, other times it was the sudden realization that wings were a thing he possessed; then of course, the tragic moment the young dragon discovered his wings served purpose and took flight. The first time Druk took off with an air current Zuko about had a heart attack; at this rate he’d be dead before he even hit fifteen (only half a year to go, he… he was almost confident he might survive that long).

Not to mention the two weeks Udon had decided that Druk was her offspring and had no desire to be convinced otherwise.

So despite his best efforts, Zuko hadn’t gotten far in the whole concept of ‘study everything because it’s all important’. Better yet, Druk was starting to grow. Fast.  
Something that’d apparently be happening a lot in the next ten years; he’d at least read that much.

(Knowing that fact brought little comfort.) 

At least Druk was well-versed with the art of hunting. Anything and everything; a separate problem to be dealt with later. That was a problem for future Zuko, not a problem for current Zuko.

Current Zuko’s problem was studying.

“If you glare at the scroll any harder, I think it might catch fire.” Lu Ten, ever helpful, noted with a sadistic glee; hovering from where he stood, arms crossed.   
  
Zuko turned the glare upwards, rolling his eyes. “You could always help me, you know.”

“Naw.” Lu Ten stated, oh-so cheerfully as he plopped down on the ground next to Zuko; giving him a grin while leaning back on his hands. “I don’t have a dragon, so I’m not authorized to do so.”

“Uh huh.” Zuko sniffed, looking back at the words on the paper like they were actually being absorbed. “What if you do have a dragon one day, and you won't know this stuff. Then what?"

Lu Ten seemed to consider this; a dramatic show of thinking noises while pulling up a hand to stroke his chin. “I supposed I’d just ask you, since you’ll be the master of dragon rearing.”

He hummed, nodding, then leveling the toothiest grin he possibly could. “Bold of you to assume I'd help.” Zuko's grin grew, in an unnecessaryly unnerving sort of way.

“I’m wounded.” Gawking, Lu Ten grabbed at his heart. “Really, I thought you liked me.”  
  
Zuko opened his mouth, ready to be a smart ass, but was cut off by a nearby crash and squabbling noises. Instead of words, he groaned; dropping the scroll in his lap. “I’m never going too...” He didn’t even bother finishing his statement, pushing the scroll aside before rising to his feet.

Chuckling, Lu Ten watched with amusement for just long enough to be annoying before dragging the scroll over, picking it up with a flourish. “Fine, fine, I guess I'll help. Scoot your brush and papers over here."  
  
"Thanks." Zuko grumbled out while shuffling together some blank pieces of parchment and pushing the inkplate and brush closer to Lu Ten, then reluctantly headed in the direction of the noise; a clattering of clay pots, laughter, and agitated squabbling dragon noises.   
  
Honestly, he didn't want to know what Druk had managed to get himself into this time. Curiosity would kill a dragon as swiftly as it'd kill a owl-cat.   
  
Druk had, apparently, found a cricket-spider.   
  
A rather large cricket-spider, which had taken up homeownership within a collection of large pots used for collecting rain water. Which was, as it were, a fascinating development for an ever-hungry young dragon. Enrichment, one might say.   
  
For both hungry young dragons, and for bystanders alike.   
  
"He's..." Zuko squinted, trying to contain his own amusement behind tight lips as Druk was half lodged in a pot; butt wiggling in the air and flapping wings preventing him from escaping (the cricket-spider, on the other hand, just crawled right past the trashing body and into the safety of a different pot). "He's going to break them all."   
  
Atletl tilted her head in his direction, snickering. "I think it's worth it."   
  
"Is it?" Zuko questioned impassively; he was already expecting to be blamed for this, and to get roped into some bizarre pottery class for his troubles.   
  
"Definitely." Atletl nodded, before letting out a wheeze as the pot toppled over, getting dragged a good three feet before Druk finally managed to escape. "We've got a ton we never really use— or, I suppose..." She trailed off, musing.   
  
Zuko groaned, glancing upwards while screwing his eyes shut. "If you say make new ones I swear to Agni's light I'll kill myself."   
  
"We could totally make new ones."   
  
"UGGHhhh!" The dramatic groaning managed to catch Druk's attention for a moment; he gave his squishy person-dragon a concerned huff, but the sounds of skittery legs on clay was too tempting to ignore for long. Within a second, the dragon was pulled back to his conquest of a crunchy snack.   
  
"You know I'm totally jealous by the way." Atletl offered, as some act of condolence; or perhaps a less than subtle point. "I'd totally make a thousand pots if I could have a dragon."   
  
"If you help me compile notes from the scrolls I'll definitely find a way to get you a dragon." Zuko gave her a grin that was part pleading and part... also pleading.   
  
"Naw, no way."   
  
"That's fair." Zuko sighed, turning back to Druk who yet again was stuck in a different pot and no closer to his snack.  
  
“Tell you what, though, since I’m that great of a person and clearly your dragon is occupied and in no need of assistance.” Atletl offered, with an untrustworthy smile and a pat on his back. "I'ma teach you my favorite totally cool meditation technique."   
  
"Believe it or not—" Zuko started, with a flat expression, "—I do know how to meditate already." 

"Or you can go back to your scrolls and note taking that you seem soo interested in working on..." 

"I'm listening." 

She snorted, and absolutely didn't point out 'that's what I thought'. "Now my young pupil—" Atletl started. 

"I am not your—" 

She shushed him, wagging a finger in his direction. "Never interrupt your master!" 

"You aren't my—" 

Atletl shushed him louder, staring him down and daring him to keep talking. 

Zuko didn't, but he thought about it.

"Good. Now where was I..." Tapping her chin for the show of it, Atletl pretended to think for a moment, "Ah yes, teaching my young pupil the art of pretentious meditation. Watch and learn!" She paused, long enough to ensure she had Zuko's full attention, before blithely flopping down with her legs crossed; hands cupped together in front of her and pulling a cord of flame between them as she separated her hands. In a movement similar to the rings of fire, she moved her hands enough to circle the flame around her body before snapping her hands to open palms; the string of fire pulling apart until it was a ring of small flames encircling her, before being guided to the ground around her.

Zuko just stared at her for a moment, definitely (unspokenly snd unwilling to give her the satisfaction) impressed by the theatrics; way more impressive than a cupped flame in his lap, that's for sure.

"Neat, huh?" Atletl asked, knowing damn well she didn't need to; she knew it was cool, and the wide-eyed expression was (almost) proof enough.

"Yeah..." Zuko did in fact, agree, it was very neat. Hr didn't say it though, instead plopping down in front of her while matching her cross-legged stance. "Show me again?"

"Of course my young pupil." Grinning, Atlet waved a hand to extinguish the flames before re-cupping them in front of her while Zuko followed along.

Neither of them chose to acknowledge the clank of yet another tipped over pot, or the annoyed grumbling of an elusive snack, behind where they sat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so! I do wanna say I've always enjoyed Iroh, excluding the whole put your traumatized seventeen year old nephew on the throne bit, but equally it's like... Zuko was whole ass thirteen, mutilated, lost, and terrified of fire. How did the topic of dragons never come up as basically a solution to everything? Because I can't think of anything during my own angsty teenage years that wouldn't have been resolved via dragons. That's all I'm sayin' here. 
> 
> So also, there was originally going to be more in this chapter but I mean. Have some dragons, hints of other dragons, and some cousin-bonding instead.
> 
> And of course, baby Druk! Yeah I know egg, things with eggs, stuff? But like. Realistically if they knew an egg was viable would they really just be like sure take it with you and hope for the best? Idk, maybe, but if the egg had already hatched then they'd know and for some reason I may or may not have decided on that seemed important.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed!


	8. Losing Your Marbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guilt: it gets worse before it gets better. Zuko doesn't much appreciate guilt, nor gaining more guilt, but maybe not everything has been completely lost in the war. 
> 
> Also, Druk may or may not attempt to eat some marbles and flirt dangerously with the edge of a cliff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let it be said, I have taken a gratuitous amount of liberties with this particular chapter and for that I will not apologize. 
> 
> So this took a while longer than intended. Been having some vibes regarding returning to the office (because it's not like houston's going for the covid highscore or anything) and also because I had a clear plan and these kids just went that's nice and just did whatever they wanted. 
> 
> Er, on the brightside it's longer than I intended so. Opps?

The morning started off normal and without any arbitrary disasters. In hindsight, that should have been a warning sign.

(Things never had a sense of normalcy and to believe otherwise was a mistake. The calm before a storm or the moments between a flash of light and the lightning strike.)

Morning meditation went smoothly, no interruptions, no mischievous dragons getting themselves stuck in places they didn't belong, the breakfast cleanup with it's not-quite-impromptu (did it count if it happened daily, but during random chores?) dragon pop quiz with Atletl was even successful; Zuko wouldn't admit it, because above all else he was a brat, but the drilling was helpful.

(Atletl had decided to switch from jealousy to enthusiastically excessive helpfulness regarding dragons, hoping somehow it'd work in her favor. It also gave her a golden opportunity to agitate Zuko, which was just a bonus.)

So the morning was normal, the morning was fine, and that should have been noted as very suspicious.

(It hadn't been.)

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


Druk was splayed out in a sunny patch of stone, gnawing happily on something unidentifiable he'd found in the nearby wilderness, keeping an idle eye on the humans who were currently busy throwing fire at one another.

(Sometimes he assisted when not enough fire was involved, but they seemed to have it covered at the moment and were of no need of his assistance.)

The little dragon had been learning a lot about the humans in the past month.

One of those things happened to be what his human called “routines”. Humans apparently liked those, or didn’t like them but did them anyways (it was still a bit confusing). So far Druk understood the humans sat in the mornings with some fire, then it was time for first food, then the humans played with water and made noises, then they threw fire at each out while making more noises, then it was time for second food, and then he usually took a nap and wasn’t sure what they did to busy themselves, then it was time to look at what his human called “scrolls” which were not things he could chew on or set on fire (which was very silly, in his opinion), and after that he tended to do dragon things until it was time for third food.

Anyways, Druk was getting used to these human routines.

Even if they were, often, usually, very boring.

(Yasu had told him once, humans weren’t very interesting but his future human would be nice. She also said they died easily and weren’t very smart, so he’d have to protect his human from things and often from themselves. Druk now understood what she'd meant by that.)

“That wasn’t half bad!” Atletl said in a rush, backflipping out of the way as a ball of fire spun where she'd just been standing. “Depending on how much you tilt your hand you should be able to determine how much of a curve is created.”

Zuko made a noise of acknowledgement while watching the ball of fire fizzle out with a swirl. “Yeah… I think that, focusing more on the angles would be, good.” He trailed off, glancing down at his hand while he flicked his wrist and tilted his hand, trying to visualize how each sliver of a change might reflect in how tight or loose the angle of the arc might be. “It’d… be good for making a barrier without throwing fire at someone. Once we figure it out, then try with letting the fire uncoil itself on the ground.”

“Even better with both of us doing it.” Lu Ten nodded in agreement. “Double barrier.”

“Double barrier.” Zuko snorted in an amused-but-agreeing sort of way.

“You’re both nerds.” Atletl rolled her eyes, sparing a glance at Taavi who… wasn’t even paying attention and thus was unable to agree with her (rude); instead he was steadily creeping closer and closer to Druk (like the dragon wasn’t the friendliest thing this side of an aardvark-sloth) while tossing pieces of leftover breakfast in the dragons general direction.

Zuko somehow managed to look offended by the statement (that was, probably, maybe a little bit true). “What?”

“I’m not a nerd.” Lu Ten grumbled, taking actual offense to the statement.

“Uh huh—” Atletl deadpanned, “—And I’m a hog-monkey's uncle.”

“What… that doesn’t even—”

“Anyways—” She added, with a dismissive wave of the hand (towards whatever Zuko was going to say), “Why would you need indirect barriers, or whatever, anyways?”

Lu Ten and Zuko both grimaced and shared a look of ‘yikes, not it’.

(Zuko fidgeted, therefore forfeited his right of not being it.)

“Um… not everyone is a firebender you know…” Zuko again, squirmed, feeling a toss of guilt along side his typical awkwardness, “And, most other benders don’t, you know...”

“Appreciate fire being thrown at them.” Lu Ten was generous enough to add.

“Yeah, that.” Zuko nodded, “Plus they mostly hate us. So, why make it… worse.”

Atletl winced, somehow forgetting that there was indeed a war going on and despite Zuko being an Avatar or whatever, that probably wouldn’t make existing as a firebender any easier (if she had to guess, that might somehow make things worse). “Ah.” She said, just to acknowledge the explanation.

(She was nice enough to not add that any display of fire would probably be unwelcomed. Because she was nice, sometimes.)

Atletl coughed, straightening up (trying to signal a change in topic because wow did that get grim fast). "Ready to go again?"

Zuko nodded while hopping to widen his stance more, bringing his right hand in with palm facing out to call fire...

... just as the echoing sound of footsteps on stone could be heard entering their training space.

(And with it the credulous, trustworthy, habitual nature of the morning came crashing down the moment Ocllo came casually strolling into view.)

Ocllo rarely sought anyone out for frivolous chatter or faux-concern regarding training updates; she had far more important things to be doing, her own words. Unless, of course, she decided it was a good day to tilt the axis of someone's world and leave them with some new found sense of inner-turmoil.

(That someone was usually, exclusively, Zuko and he doubted this visit would be any different.)

Instantly, in an involuntary reaction, Zuko shrunk within himself and slowly shuffled to the side in a feeble attempt better hide himself behind whichever body he came across first.

"Good morning Zuko." Ocllo said, loudly enough for half the island to hear; making sure it was known the attempt at retreat was going to be unsuccessful.

(He should have made a run for it when he had the chance.)

"Uhh..." Zuko's head bobbed in an undedicated sort-of-nod, not entirely giving up on the concept of fleeing just yet. "Morning? What are— do you need something?" His concern of why she was here had overruled his ability to filter words.

Ocllo just smiled, in the unassuming-kind-old-woman sort of way, like she hadn't the foggiest idea what he meant. "Just having a stroll. Lovely weather today."

Eyes narrowing, Zuko didn't buy it for a second.

"Care to join me?"

Ah. There it was. No, absolutely not, came to mind but Zuko was at least smart enough not to say it (he knew an obligatory request when he heard one. "...Okay." He answered, oozing with reluctance and a dwindling hope she might give him an out.

"Wonderful!" Ocllo stated, in her nicest 'I'm a kindly old woman who's completely trustworthy' tone, and spun on her heel to head back the way she came. She would be offering him no 'out'.

Zuko really didn't want to follow her, at all. He hadn't originally, but the tone of her voice kinda made him want to jump off a ledge instead. He didn't, jump off a ledge, but he considered it briefly before glancing over to Druk and giving a headnod in the direction they'd (sadly) be heading.

(Druk, understandably, didn't grasp the averseness to following the not-his-human but he supposed it was because it was breaking routine? Humans were very silly.)

It didn't take much effort to catch up to Ocllo; despite the sense of purpose she held, she wasn't exactly walking faster than leisurely at best.

"The weather is quite nice today. Sunny, nice breeze." She offered, hoping some pointless conversation might offer the chance for Zuko to bring his nerves down from whatever potential deadly encounter he assumed this was.

"Umm... yeah. Breezy?"

Or not. Ocllo blinked, heavily, and suppressed the ever-growing desire to sigh (this child...). "You aren't being carted off like a llama-sheep to the slaughter child, you can relax."

"Oh." Zuko mumbled, looking anywhere that wasn't directed at her. "Okay?"

(The suppressed sigh was considering becoming a headache.)

They walked in silence as they ambled through the cluster of structures and dwellings, then exited down a paved pathway towards a more secluded area with clusters of trees; heading in a direction more towards an area with a scenic view of a coastline.

"So, uhh..." Despite being the master of fumbled convention, Zuko wasn't the best at silence, "Where are we going, or I guess what are you gonna show me?"

"What makes you think I'm planning something?"

Zuko looked at her flatly. "You only show up when you have a reason. Otherwise you tell us we're annoying before chasing us off."

"Ah." Well he had her there. "A fair point, " Ocllo conceded, "I'm under the impression training has been going very well for both Lu Ten and yourself?"

"I guess so?"

Ocllo nodded (knowing to take that with a grain of salt), "Good. Then I believe it's time for you to focus more on a different element for your duration on our island."

"What?" Zuko gawked at her, baffled.

"What?" Ocllo iguana-parroted back at him, an eyebrow raised, "How are you still surprised by anything I come to speak to you about?"

"I—" Still stunned by the idea another element could be learned here, Zuko huff. "I— no, you... have a good point."

"I typically do, if people were wise enough to listen."

Zuko grunted (he listened, mostly) but otherwise ignored the jab. "So what element is it, wait... this comes with a story doesn't it."

"Do you want to hear it or not?"

"... Yes."

Ocllo nodded, clearing her throat (that's what she thought). "So as you're probably aware, this island is very close to the Western Air Temple and there is quite a long history between the Sun Warriors and the Air Nomads. Most of it was based off spiritual enlightenment and philosophy, but it was just as rich in mutual support. Even as our ancestors began migrating to the archipelago, we were never forgotten by them. The same generosity was extended to them when Sozin's great war began to brew. How much do you know of their people? "

Zuko shrank within himself, glancing to the ground and kicking a small stone off the path; watching insipidly as Druk perked up and stalked the stone like a mighty hunter. "I—" He started, then cut himself off; technically, he knew the lying version he'd been taught growing up, and far less of the actual truthful version; the accurate history wasn't exactly easy to come by. "I know, some. They were, peaceful? Traveled a lot... and, they were vegetarians?"

"You at least know more than most of your people."

"That's... not saying much."

Well, he wasn't wrong with that statement. "Nevertheless, they were a very peaceful people above all else, and more importantly they represented the spirit of freedom. When the campaigns of misinformation started, we begged them to find safety with us. They did not take it, saying they'd rather die free as they lived than to survive in hiding while abandoning their beliefs." Ocllo paused, mostly to regather herself; this was a known to all their people, a sad story only told in remembrance and never very often. It never failed to strike a cord.

Zuko... didn't really know what to do with that.

(Outside of more self-loathing, more guilt, more ire, more... morose feelings he really didn't need.)

Die being free; free to be themselves, to stand by their beliefs, to die honorably and unwavering. It was, a lot, but as much as he wanted to say that was selfish of them, he... understood. He himself nearly died standing up for the immorality of slaughtering a division of new soldiers because it was wrong. It was wrong, it was cruel, and he couldn't have lived with himself knowing he said nothing.

He didn't like it, he didn't like the consequences it created, but he understood.

"They were very brave." Zuko managed to whisper out; there was a lot he could have said, but thinking harder or digging deeper would without a doubt cause him to unravel.

"They were very brave, but not all of them perished during the comet."

"But I thought you said—"

Ocllo waved a dismissive hand, cutting him off. "You forget they were by nature, nomads, child. A great many of them were traveling the world when the comet passed through the sky, and they were spared from the genocide that occurred. Many were hunted down in the aftermath, like those who returned to the temples to care for the deceased or those who carried on their traditions of traveling the world." She paused, offering Zuko a sullen smile before continuing. "Some were just children, though, very early in the travels and scared when returning to their temple. Those were the ones who relented and chose to set aside their ideals to ensure their people weren't completely eradicated. There aren't many of them left, now, but of them there are several who we believe will be well suited to aid you in your endeavors."

"So there are..."

"Indeed. There are."

"Here?" Zuko's eyes grew wide, despite himself.

Ocllo smirked at him, rolling her eyes but managing to suppress the desire to say 'no I'm just telling you this for fun, I'm going to introduce you to some earthbenders' (as tempting as that was, it wouldn't be taken well). "That is the idea."

"Oh."

"Oh?" To that she raised an eyebrow, "If I didn't know better I'd think you disappointed."

"NO!" Zuko waved his hands frantically, eyes wide, "No, no I'm not disappointed! I just— it's..." He swallowed, nervously averting his eyes. "It's just... a lot? Can I... can I just sit, for a minute. I need a—a, uhh, moment."

"Of course."

Zuko mumbled a quiet thank you and flopped down in the middle of the pathway, not having it in him to relocate; eyes staring distantly at nothing, unfocused, not even noticing when a concerned Druk stopped his snack-hunt and came to sit by his human's side.

There were... airbenders. Still alive. Here.

How many... how mad... could he even face them? How could he look them in the eye, he was from the same bloodline that'd caused the decimation of their people, and they were just... expect to help him? Zuko's breath hitched, heart clenching as he felt his body waver and skin start to crawl with a feeling of being too tight to exist in.

How was... how could he...

Vaatu stirred, making note of what was brewing but yet not entirely sure how to best handle his vessel's turmoil; outside of just not really appreciating the self-loathing thoughts resurging (at this rate, the child would die of stress-induced heart failure long before given the chance to master all four elements) regardless of reasoning. _‘Tell me, what is the source of your anguish child.’_

_‘I’m not—I don’t. It’s just…’_

_‘Ah, yes that... explains much.’_

Zuko huffed, wishing he could glare internally. ‘ _It’s, I mean the Air Nomads are almost entirely gone and it’s because of my family, and I just…’_

_‘Ah, you are yet again stuck at the crossroads of being a martyr for the crimes of your fathers rather than moving forward towards your own destiny.’_

_‘I am not—’_

_‘Are you not?’_ Vaatu questioned, _‘Does your concern lie with your fears of these airbenders rejecting you for your own transgressions, or for those of your family?’_

_‘It’s not that simple, Vaatu. My family was… is…’_

_‘Cruel and seeking absolute domination of the world, yes I am aware. Raava would be most proud of their narrow-minded focus on control and unitary thinking. However, am I mistaken or was our plan to end your family’s tyranny on the world to once again allow the freedom of choice to reign?'_ Vaatu questioned. 

_‘It is, of course it is, I—I’m just…’_

_‘And who do you believe might be most welcoming to the prospect of once again having the freedom to be true to their own heritage and beliefs?’_

_‘Okay, okay, I get it.'_ Zuko grumbled, _'You’re wise and know everything, alright?’_

Vaatu chuckled, enjoying what he considered to be a win. _‘I am. It pleases me to hear you acknowledge such things.’_

_‘I say stuff like that all the time!’_

_‘Still,’_ Vaatu sniffed, _‘You could stand to say them more often.’_

 _‘Okay, I will tell you how great you are more often. Also, uhh, thanks—thank you.’_ Zuko placated, before dragging himself to his feet and facing towards Ocllo with determination. “Okay, I—I’m ready to meet them now.”

With a nod, Ocllo turned and started walking towards their destination; while she didn’t exactly appreciate the delay, standing idly while watching a teen make faces and stare blankly off in space, she knew spirit interaction when she saw it (or could feel the shifting in energy, specifics). It was rare to get the chance to witness it, though, and just this once she wouldn't mention the wasting of her time.

The winding path emptied out into yet another flat stone area, similar to every other training area Zuko had come across so far; the difference with this one was: the abundance of trees nearby, and the fact that two sides were on the edge of a cliff with a lovely overlook of the death-drop directly into the open ocean below. It was abundantly clear why this particular area wasn't used for firebending practice.

(Because trees were flammable and firebenders couldn't fly.)

(Zuko wasn't entirely sure airbenders could fly either, he couldn't read a room to save his life but even he wasn't going to break the ice with a question like that.)

Another difference between this open space, and the other training areas he'd frequented, was the difference in the small group of people currently occupying it; there were four of them, lounging around like they were waiting for...

Right. Him. They were waiting for him, while he'd been having his little pity-party-identity-crisis.

For a fleeting, anxiety filled, moment Zuko considered just throwing himself off the side of the cliff (it was right there, it'd be easy, and it wasn't like this would be the first time he'd done it in an act of avoidance) to avoid meeting them. A tempting option, but then the group had to go and notice him; four sets of eyes locked onto him and his body froze.

Four sets of eyes: two were a pale grey, one was a darker stormy grey, and the last had just a hint of yellow if you looked closely.

(A distant thought spurred, remembering with a startling clarity that a childhood frie—acquaintance had pale grey eyes, too.)

Only two of them sported the shaved heads airbenders had been known for, the other two wore their hair tied in a high ponytail like the Sun Warriors did; which probably made sense, considering their skin was darker than the other two.

None of them had the arrow tattoos that airbenders were known for, either.

Right.

Because those are exclusive to airbending masters, of which there are none (unless one counted the other Avatar, assuming they'd become a master before going missing). Even if these airbenders were somehow masters of their element there was still no one around to walk them through the tattooing ceremony.

A thought that made Zuko's heart stammer and his stomach threaten to come out his throat. "I'm sorry..." He managed to choke out, quiet and pained. "I'm so, so, sorry this—I wish I could..." Could anything. Could do anything that could just possibly make this, slightly more okay.

Somehow he thought the guilt of what happened to the airbenders couldn't get worse than the first time he went to one of the air temples and found the... the... all of the bodies, but seeing four airbenders; flesh and blood and living, and unable to truly master their own element. Couldn't, because of his own fucking family. Couldn't, because Sozin decided to slaughter them all.

Then the wave of guilt when Ocllo brought it up.

Now it was back again and it hurt even more, and they hadn't even said anything; the option to nosedive over the side of the cliff was back and more alluring than ever.

"Oh. Umm..." Tashi faltered, wringing her hands together; was this weird? She was pretty sure this was weird. She glanced at her friends who looked just as unsure as she felt (why was he apologizing?). "Sorry for... what exactly?"

"Uhh..." Zuko tensed, sparing a frantic glance at Ocllo (hadn't she told them...) before looking back at the airbenders with a grimace. "Everything?"

Jamyang frowned, head tilting to the side in obvious bewilderment, "Everything is a lot to be sorry for."

"I have a lot—or I guess, my... I'm related to the people who," Zuko fumbled, gesturing vaguely at everything and nothing, "We did this, to everyone, but also you. We... I—I'm sorry."

The four airbenders shared a glance, still lost (if anything the apologizes made things more abstruse).

"I'm a, uhh, firebender." Zuko offered, like that was going to make everything crystal clear.

"Oh." Jamyang nodded; he thought that much was obvious, plus Ocllo had said the Avatar she was bringing was born of fire, so it had kinda gone without saying but maybe it didn't? "We knew that already, but you are more than just a firebender?"

"Plus, I mean..." Dharma chimed in, with a sad but warm smile, "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything."

"It is though!" Zuko choked out, unable to stop his body from trembling. "My family they—they're the one's who caused this, and your just... just supposed to help me?"

"Well... you did apologize." Tashi said, glancing to her friends as they nodded in agreement. "Our ancestors would want us to let go of any negative feeling, so thank you and we accept your apology."

"Plus," Dharma chimed in with a fond smile. "You're an Avatar, the first for your spirit even! We would be honored to help you as much as we can!"

Avatar.

How could he forget?

Zuko took a deep breath and attempted to force a smile. "The other Avatar isn't technically dead, and they're an airbender. If— if they ever, you know, return and stuff... I'll bring them here. For—to help you all."

And that was it, just like that. The four airbenders were all smiles and energy and hand gestures like there wasn't a care in the world; like their entire race hadn't been (nearly) eradicated, like the same war wasn't currently destroying the world, like this was just a fun casual day of making a new friend.

It made his heart hurt in a different kinda way.

"I have airbending scrolls too!" Zuko blurted out, awkwardly and far louder than intended. "I mean, well, not like here... with me but, umm, I found them at a— a different temple. I buried them."

(Wow, never let it be said he knew how to talk to people; he grimaced at the odd, very deserving, perplexed looks he was getting.)

"You... buried them?" Dharma wasn't entirely sure what to do with that, but amused was probably not the first opinion that should have came to mind (what was this kid even).

"Uhh.." Zuko glanced up, kinda hoping Agni would strike him down so he didn't have to continue this conversation he'd stupidly started. "I... wanted to make sure I could find them, later. I, uh, didn't know I'd find—" He made a face, gesturing with both hands in their general direction, "—I mean, but I'll bring them here. When I can, when it's safe to. I will."

Jamyang grinned at that, eyes wide with excitement. "That'd be great! We really only have, like, a few." A nicer way of saying three.

"And journals." Tashi added with a nod, before pausing to make an odd face and scratching at her chin. "Mostly those were..."

"... awkward." Dharma finished, with a light blush for reasons he'd rather not explain; reading it was bad enough, they'd unanimously agreed to never talk about it.

(They weren't journals, they were diaries of teenagers and were absolutely the most secondhand embarrassing things any of them had ever read.)

"Very awkward." Tashi stated, helpfully, followed by a cough. "Anyways! We do know a few things at least. One that's extremely important to airbenders, too!"

"Definitely!" Jamyang agreed, most sagely (he was the oldest, thus he was the most wise, that's how this worked). He actually had no idea if it was important or not but it was mentioned, in excess, throughout the dia—journals, the insightful and beneficial journals that were in no way secretive teenage ramblings.

"Oh?" Zuko narrowed his eyes at the looks of absolute deviancy being shared among them; not trusting whatever it was they were referring to for a second, but equally he deserved it. Whatever it was.

"Yup!" She chirped out while rummaging in the pockets of her robe, "Check this out!" With a flashy grin Tashi produced a handful of marbles, and with a light flick of her wrist they moved to spinning in a tight circle in between her open palms. "Totally cool, right?"

Zuko, at best, looked nervous. Were they... were they for real right now? Glancing around, they all seemed genuinely awaiting a positive reaction that was... probably not his current bemused-constipated expression. "Umm..." He started, trying to grin in a way that didn't look pained or mildly unhinged. "That's... cool? Uhh, very cool. Absolutely."

"Right?" Beaming, Tashi released the wind and snatched the marbles with triumph. "Oh! That means you get to pick your own marbles too! We have a whole trunk of them!"

"Uhh, okay?" Zuko barely squeezed out before Dharma latched onto one of his arms and started dragging him along, presumably to this thing of... marbles? Or perhaps his death.

(Being dragged to his own death seemed, kinda more merciful. It'd be far less confusing, anyways.)

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


Zuko wasn't, in fact, lured to his death. Rather it was, just as they'd said, a trunk full of little glass marbles; how in spirits name did they even get these here?

Did they make them?

(Zuko didn't know, he was very curious but not enough to actually ask; because, honestly, it didn't actually matter. He was, still, curious all the same.)

"Cool, right?" Dharma voice sounded almost nervous, like if the first person to gaze upon the trove of carefully curated marbles might be the most important thing that'd happened in his lifetime; which, un-admittedly, it kinda was. There hadn't been anyone to do so for ten years or so, and now a brand new Avatar was doing it!

(Avatar! How cool was that?)

"Uh, totally... yes, umm, very cool?" Zuko squirmed, knowing that sounded like a question but it was an unintentional byproduct of of being overwhelmed (and tragically awkward on the best of days). This was just a literal trunk of small circular glass but it was apparent all of this had a lot of meaning behind it; he didn't know if this was really a tradition he should feel grateful to be part of, or something they'd created in lapse of their own history.

(Either option was a heavy feeling, and asking would probably result in even more guilt than he already had.)

"Usually we wait until someone's ready to learn the move to let them chose their marbles." Jamyang explained, trying to look wise and all-knowing to hide the obvious excitement.

"But I mean," Tashi butted in, shrugging with a wide grin on her face; not trying to hide her enthusiasm even a little, "How often do we get to meet an Avatar and stuff. So, you should, like, just pick them now instead!"

"For motivational purposes." Jamyang added, mostly because that sounded like a solid excuse to break their tradition.

"Right." Zuko pursed, looking down at the trunk once again; like he actually needed any more motivation held over his head.

(Like disappointing Vaatu, disappointing Lu Ten, failing to master all four elements, proving Ozai right about being worthless, being unable to end the war... like that wasn't enough already.)

At least Druk seemed ecstatic about the marbles; his entire head shoved deep in the trunk with happy clicks and chirps as the marbles shifted around with little clinks to accommodate him as he slunk more of his body into the (his) hoard.

(Typical dragon behavior, Zuko had learned very early on; collections of things sparked the need to hoard, marbles clearly fit the bill.)

"Druk..." Zuko chided, grabbing the little shit around his middle and tugging him out of the trunk before this got out of hand (the last thing he needed was a choking dragon or the guilt of marbles flying everywhere); the indignant squabbling of an argument flat out ignored.

In the process of detaching the dragon from his perceived hoard, five marbles fell haphazardly into Zuko's lap from where they'd been in spat out of Druk's mouth; forgotten in favor of a squeaky puff of fire and grumbling complaints.

"Uh huh," Zuko huffed out, attempting not to laugh at the little hissy-fit; after everything he'd endured from his childhood, a little bit of dragon fire was about the least concerning thing he'd dealt with. "So is it alright if, umm, Druk picked for me?" He questioned, while keeping one arm wrapped around the wiggling Druk in question and using his free hand to gather the slightly soggy marbles that'd been spit at him.

Tashi glanced at her friends, collectively shrugging.

"Sure that's... fine." Jamyang scratched at his chin, "I think having the first dragon born in a hundred years choosing for you is... honorable?"

Dharma snorted, mumbling out a "You're such a tightass" under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Eyes narrowed while Jamyang crossed his arms; offended, completely. Someone had to act like they knew what they were talking about, how else would they be taken seriously enough to train an Avatar?!

(The fact there were no alternatives, was a truth that had somehow never dawned on him.)

Zuko pocketed the (his, not Druk's) marbles quickly, refusing to let go of his hold on Druk until he stood and nudged the lid of the trunk closed with a foot. "So, what should I learn first?" He asked with a lopsided grin.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


Meditation, check.

Being agile (and jumpy, and moving constantly), check.

Being attuned to spirits, double check.

Freedom and sound of mind, err...

"You need to let go of your negative emotions, otherwise you'll never be free." Jamyang explained, as matter-of-factly as he could while sitting in the lotus position with his eyes still closed (do as I do, not do as I say).

"Right..." Zuko, more or less, mirrored the sitting position, sans an eye cracked open to eye the airbender dubiously. "Because being free is...?"

"Air is the element of freedom, you—" Jamyang opened his eyes to level a look of upmost seriousness, "—You have to be free like the element. You gotta be like the air to become one with the air."

"Become one... with the air." Zuko iguana-parroted; closing both eyes tightly in an attempt to pretend he wasn't having this conversation.

"Okay that sounds, umm, ridiculous." Tashi agreed, leaning over just enough to place a hand on Zuko's shoulder; shaking him enough, annoyingly, until his eyes opened to glare at her. "But it's important! You'll never be free if negativity is weighing you down."

"Exactly!" Dharma added, the only one sitting with his eyes still closed (visualizing this exchange was hilarious enough, watching it would ensure he'd double over laughing). "You have to acknowledge the negative feelings and then let them go. You know fear, guilt, lies, shame, so on."

Zuko stared at them blankly, deciding against telling them they'd basically just summed his entire existence up in a handy list of what not to do. "So unless I do that I... won't be able to airbend?" He asked, already feeling defeated.

"Well..." Jamyang tilted his head from side to side, "I mean you will, but it'd be easier if you're spiritually free."

"So, uhh... can we, circle back to this whole freedom part later?"

"I guess, but—"

"I get it, I mean, I really do!" Zuko cut Jamyang off, "I just, okay listen— you all basically just said my everything is what I shouldn't be doing and okay, that's fair but if the plan is to wait until I get over years of... bad things happening, attempted murder in front of half a city, the fact my nation is waging war on the world, the possibility of me having to murder my fa—the, uhh, Fire Lord, I just... I mean, we're going to be here a while. Is what, I guess I'm saying." Zuko said frantically, breathing heavier than he should be.

Well that was a lot to unpack, wasn't it. Jamyang shifted his suddenly very vacant expression from Zuko towards Tashi, who offered him a broad and very uncomfortably-fake smile he'd ever seen; the feeling was mutual.

(Jamyang suddenly wanted, very badly, to meditate and let this entire conversation go and never think about it again.)

His mouth opened, without knowing a single thing that could be said to... that sort of bizarre-yet-depressing declaration. Jamyang gave up on trying to words, to instead grin deviously as the two perfect scapegoat-dogs came meandering back from where they'd skirted meditation earlier; the excuse of partaking in, what they had claimed to be, extremely imperative research regarding dragons and flight (alternatively, being distracted playing with a baby dragon) had been annoying earlier but now suddenly forgivable.

Lhamo and Sonam had absolutely missed this little conversation and thus, had no reason to need a moment to process (nor be suspicious of intentions).

"Just who I wanted to see!" Jamyang waved them over with a sly smile that wasn't at all suspicious.

Sonam was, in fact, suspicious. "Oh?"

"Yeah, what'd we miss?" Lhamo narrowed her eyes, knowing better than to just prance right into an obvious trap (not without an attempt at deflation first).

"Oh you know—" Tashi leaned back on an arm, oh-so-casually while waving her other in the most nonchalant way possible, "— Just meditation, boring stuff really. Sure is exhausting though!"

"Definitely, nowhere near as relaxing as playing with a dragon all afternoon." Dharma stated grudgingly with a level stare. "It's our turn with Druk and your turn with the Avatar."

In a quick whirl of a motion Jamyang rose to his feet and quickly (but not too quickly) brushed pass his two friends, who'd just been involuntarily-volunteered, with a wave and a grin, "It was communally agreed that you two are up on teaching our new friend the art of air blasts!"

"Wait what—" Sonam gawked, first at the abandonment of their quickly retreating friends, and then the Avatar (what was his name again...). "Does he... do you even know how to airbender yet?"

Zuko's painfully forced blank look and lack of saying anything, well basically said everything.

"It shouldn't be that hard!" Dharma beamed, avoiding his face being scrutinized for lies by busying himself with scooping up Druk and not-retreating towards a direction that wasn't here. "It's basically like firebending, just without the fire!"

"Exactly!" Tashi nodded, like she actually knew this for a fact. She actually had no clue if that was true, but technically her mom was a firebender and she'd had a fascination in watching as a child, so she still felt it was probably close enough. "It's all about force and punching and kicking, spinny things! Just with air instead of fire."

Jamyang and Dharma nodded in full agreement with that sounding like a plausible explanation.

Neither Sonam nor Lhamo knew enough about firebending to dispute any of that, plus it was said with confidence and it... sounded plausible?

"Great, have fun!" Anddd the three were gone.

"So, like firebending huh?" Zuko questioned with a distinct amount of amusement that wasn't even remotely reassuring.

(Maybe ditching meditation hadn't been the best of ideas, in retrospect.)

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


Much to the surprise of the three, airbending was essentially similar enough to firebending. Once the importance of 'going through the forms you know but without the fire' had been established.

(It'd only taken the loss of two trees and one instance of someone getting far too close to the edge of the cliff while dodging flames to put this decree into effect.)

The fluidity of which Zuko (that was his name, it only took one third person narrative to weasel-rat it out of him) moved was the easy part. It was the vibing with the air around him part that was proving to be a tad complicated.

Both Sonam and Lhamo had assumed that was the point of meditation, but that's what they got for assuming.

Which had led to the three sitting on one of the ledges, feet dangling over the side, just focusing on the breeze and the relaxing lull of the water below.

"Is this how all of you figured out how to bend?" Zuko asked curiously enough, because he knew from experience how firebenders found out (accidental combustion of anything nearby and flammable) but how other elements worked... not so much.

"Naw, not even close." Sonam said, kicking their legs back and forth as they dangled freely, "I was young and I sneezed and blew myself into a wall, knocked myself unconscious and everything!"

"Wait, really?"

"Yup!" Offering a lopsided grin, Sonam added, "Scared my parents half to death too. I thought it was hilarious when I woke up."

"You would find that hilarious, Sonam." Lhamo chided, with a huff (did everyone lack self-preservation around here or what).

"Like you're any better!"

Lhamo narrowed her eyes. "I am absolutely better, sorry to disappoint!" She crossed her arms indignantly. "Personally, I really wanted to be a firebender, so I used to meditate with candles because I thought it'd help or something. Only I kept snuffing out the wicks and never knew why until someone pointed it out."

"Ah, so you're an idiot." Sonam nodded in agreement with themself. "Explains a lot, actually."

"I'll push you off the ledge Sonam don't tempt me." She growled; there was only one Zuko of a distance away from keeping her from the temptation.

"Wait..." Zuko waved his hands in their respective faces, cutting them off before someone took a dive over the cliff (he knew, undoubtedly, if someone fell it'd somehow be him). "How'd you snuff out the candles?"

"Uhh, with air?" Lhamo gave him a dubious look; hadn't she just said that?

"No, I mean how... show, or no tell me how?"

"Oh. Well, I just..." Lhamo glanced down at her hand, wiggling her fingers a little before snapping them together and extending her palm out, "I guess I kinda thought about exerting, and then pushed out at the candle and accidentally willed the air?" She half questioned (what she wouldn't give for enough knowledge to explain this the right way), while pushing out with her hand; a twirl of air catching from the ocean breeze and wafting in a spiral from where she'd aimed her hand.

Zuko watched her intently, then glanced down at his own hand. "Huh. Okay..." He supposed that made as much sense as anything (way more sense than being one with the air). "Okay." He said again, with more determination.

Right. How many times had he unintentionally snuffed out candles and torches (... and the coal stove in the galley that one time), this should be a... well, breeze (ughh, puns, no pun intended).

He wiggled his fingers in the same way Lhamo had, just in case it mattered, before extending his palm as she had; his eyes closed and he envisioned a candle with it's small flickering flame, something he'd sat in front of more times than he could count. He thought about snuffing out a fire, reaching out without the intent of seizing control of the flame itself. Instead of pulling the fire towards him, he'd simply be pushing it away.

Just, without the whole controlling the fire part.

Just, replacing his fire with air. Like the gentle breeze ruffling his hair, or the little wisp of smoke once a fire was extinguished. Zuko took a sharp breath, simmering his chi and keeping it low while he pushed; pushed his fire back, pushed at the ever-present air around them, pushed the soft breeze that danced around him, the caught wind swirling and tugging until it was drawn into pressure in his palm.

"That's it!"

"You got it!"

Zuko cracked an eye open as the two airbenders he was packed in between cheered and squeezed closer; were they humoring him or had he actually done it (why had he kept his eyes closed, that was dumb)? But, if he did do it once... then, he could do it again, right?

Right. With both eyes open this time, Zuko repeated the process; think about extinguishing a flame, suppressing his chi from reaching out, focus on the air currents, and push. Just like that, he could feel the air around him spinning, twisting around his open palm and following the path of his extended palm.

"Oh." Zuko, most eloquently, mumbled; drawing his palm back to stare at his hand, like he had half a mind to dismiss whatever he'd done, like he wasn't entirely sure that'd actually happened.

"You've got it!" Sonam hailed, clapping a hand on the Avatar's shoulder.

Lhamo followed suit, tugging Zuko closer with a glowing smile. "I knew you could do it, what with our judicious expertise and all."

"Uhh, yea—yeah, definitely?" Zuko mumbled out, dazed, still staring fatuously at his hand, taking a moment to shake the lingering doubt and glancing from one airbender to the next. "So, uhh, what's next?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" Somehow, Lhamo's grin grew brighter (with just a... very noticeable amount of mischief). "Teaching stuff to fly!"

"...What?"

"You heard her!" Sonam added, their smile equally full of mirth. "Time to scavenge!"

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


There was no lie to be found regarding teaching stuff to fly.

It'd sounded ridiculous but it was probably the most fun Zuko had ever had when it came to training (okay he'd always enjoyed training with his swords, but that was different).

It had gone like this: the tree separated under the guidelines of finding things that were just asking to be broken, be it already semi-broken objects, things that'd be cathartic to smash, stupid stuff that shouldn't exist in the first place, or anything that'd be missed but not hard to replace.

Zuko came back with two previously cracked water jugs that hadn't survived Druk's spontaneous hunting adventures, as well as the peaked interest of a very curious dragon. Sonam and Lhamo had, apparently, been waiting for such an opportunity to arise and had returned with a wide array of knick-knacks and pottery.

(Zuko sincerely doubted half the stuff even belonged to them, but wasn't concerned enough to point it out.)

With a level of enthusiasm that shouldn't exist, everything was lined up a foot or so from one of the ledges, the showcase was given a quick inspection of scrutiny, and then all focus was aimed at Zuko; who was just standing there with obvious skepticism.

"Ready when you are!" Sonam grinned, hands on their hips and standing far enough to not be in a hazard zone yet still able to fully enjoy the show—training, the very important training exercise.

"For..." Zuko trailed, almost sounding indecisively, with a shifting gaze between the two airbenders.

"Well, duh—" Lhamo rolled her eyes, as if needing an explanation was just ridiculous, and waved a hand in the direction of their carefully curated lineup. "Time to make stuff fly! By doing the thing!"

"The... thing?"

Sonam nodded, raising a hand and aiming a palm at the nearest cracked jug; creating a light puff of air, just enough to make the jug titter a bit but otherwise go unmoved. "Do the thing, send the stuff over the side!"

"We weighed some of them down with rocks, so you'll have to use more force to push them over!"

"Oh." Zuko wasn't entirely sure what he expected when they'd said 'teaching stuff to fly' but somehow, he hadn't expected it to be so... literal. "Uhh, okay? Okay."

Within minutes, six objects had been blasted over the cliffside (with an extremely pleasing crash echoing from below); by the time the third fell, Druk's pupils were wide with interest and he turned himself into an unintended obstacle in the training process. Hit the stuff, not the dragon, and aim for the pots the pesky dragon was about to shove off the cliff instead.

Unintended, but a great impromptu training tactic nonetheless.

Much to the annoyance of the Druk in question, who really just wanted to get in on this fun game of breaking things without consequences (why should his human have all the fun).

When the three other airbenders finally returned to the training grounds (they weren't hiding, just incase everything was going as poorly as meditation had, absolutely not), Druk finally seized his chance at glory; carefully nudging the largest pot (and one of the few still standing) over the side of the cliff, hanging halfway over the side to watch with delight as it sailed through the air and crashed on the rocks below.

"Druk... don't do that!" Zuko griped, trying hard to hide his amusement.

Druk was not inclined to listen to such nonsense, grunting in response before hopping over to the next jug, staring his human dead in the eyes, and using a back foot to push the jug right over the edge with a fulfilling clattering below.

(The human and the dragon glared at each other in a standoff, neither budging nor acknowledging the cackles erupting around them.)

With a huff of faux-annoyance, Zuko moved to push a small gust of air at the very naughty dragon; just hard enough to be felt but to otherwise serve little purpose (Druk was growing more by the day, his head just about at Zuko's hip, not to mention he could consistently fly now).

A fact that didn't stop the Druk in question from squawking and flying farther from the ledge (bad sneaky human!).

"Not to bad!" Jamyang noted; he was a bit surprised the kid was already airbending, a bit offended it wasn't via his own tutelage, but ultimately glad progress was already being made. "I think it's time for phase two!"

"Phase two?" Zuko questioned, breaking his glare-off with Druk to give the airbender a suspicious glance (a distraction Druk took as an opportunity to knock the last bowl-thing off the cliff).

Jamyang grinned, clapping his hands together. "Yup! Mass teaching stuff to fly!"

The rest of the airbenders cheered, quickly darting off to no doubt forage for more things to break, while Zuko just... contemplated the idea that... was that seriously what they called this? Teaching things to fly?

(Airbenders were weird.)

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


"Airbenders." Lu Ten frowned, with a sceptical-judgy sort of look like clearly there was a misunderstanding of the meaning of 'airbender'.

"Yup" Zuko nodded. "Airbenders."

"Here?"

"Yup."

"Huh." Lu Ten sat back, leaning on his arms.

"Weird, huh?"

"I mean... no? At this point, nothing is really weird."

"Well they're weird."

Lu Ten raised an eyebrow, deciding against asking if his cousin was the pot or the kettle with that statement. "How so?"

"Practicing air blasts, and air swipes, is what they call teaching stuff to fly."

"Okay that's... a bit weird, but..." Lu Ten considered, "A fun weird?"

"It was fun..." Zuko scrunched his nose, thinking for a moment before snorting. "Could... could you imagine that with firebending? Like, teaching stuff to be on fire?"

Lu Ten barked out a laugh. "That... that would have made it more enjoyable for sure." He paused, shifting a little bit with apprehension. "So, how... were they?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, airbenders..." Lu Ten paused to gesture between them, "... you know."

"Oh." Zuko fidgeted some, sparing a look at the scroll in his lap he'd been pretending to read, then lett out a sigh. "Painfully... nice? I expected, I dunno... nothing good, really. But they were nice. They gave me marbles?"

"Marbles?" Lu Ten repeated, utterly baffled. "Do... I even want to know?"

Zuko snorted, shaking his head. "I dunno, something about the most important airbending move they know?"

"Okay, maybe they are a bit weird. Still a fun weird, though."

"Yeah, definitely... fun weird." Zuko could agree with that. Mostly, anyways; the letting things go, be free like the air stuff... that was an entirely different type of weird he wasn't ready to face yet, but it didn't hinder his ability to bending air so that was something he'd just ignore for now.

(He knew he'd have to face it eventually, but it would be painful and he'd much rather have Vaatu guide him through that. He was a spirit, and he already constantly nitpicked about letting things go. He'd trust Vaatu with that.)

"Alright, your face is doing that thing you do when you're thinking too hard about something."

"I am not—" Zuko growled out, before being cut off with the wave of a hand.

"Yea-huh, whatever." Lu Ten cheerfully grinned, with spite, pushing the scrolls to the floor of their little room, then slinging an arm around his cousins shoulders. "Doesn't matter, you've had a... day, so we should get some sleep because I heard you now have training with us in the morning, and training with the airbenders in the afternoon."

"Ughhh!" Zuko groaned, "This sucks."

Lu Ten hummed in agreement, shifting to stand and move towards his own petlatl. "If it makes you feel better, Atletl has somehow coerced me into pottery making."

"She... what?"

"Something about... a bunch of jugs and pots have suddenly gone missing?" Lu Ten leveled a knowing, judgy sort of look. "Seems oddly coincidental to your training, don't you think?"

Zuko let out a thoughtful hum, flopping back to use Druk as a pillow (earning a grunt and a wing in his face for it). "I try not to make a habit of thinking."

Grabbing a pillow to shove over his face, Lu Ten attempted to muffle an exasperated-strangled sort of noise before promptly giving up on being awake. What a lie. A lie he wasn't even going to dignify with a response.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


"One more time." Sonam watched with far more interest than they should be, from a very safe distance, leaning against the wooden staff clutched in their hands. They were a pacifist, sure, but they could admit airbending with swords was really cool.

(They made a note to ask the warriors if they could get some kinda blunt, non-stabby, sword to practice these moves with.)

Zuko nodded as he took a few steps back, pivoting his weight from foot to foot and drawing his swords, "Okay."

With a grin Sonam added, more quietly, "Try aiming for the two idiots too distracted to pay attention to the person waving swords around."

"Sure." Zuko grinned, toothy and full of diablerie; shifting towards the direction unsuspecting Tashi and Lhamo while (unnecessarily) twirling his dao. He spun around fast with one leg rooted, dragging the air around him to build up momentum along the path of the swords, before letting go; the air ripping away in an arc, and blasting the two oblivious targets straight into a nearby hedge.

"That was... absolutely... perfect!" Sonam wheezed out, doubling over with laughter, as the other two sputtered furiously and attempted to untangle themselves from the unrelenting hedge.

"That was—was..." Tashi grumbled, scowling, while trying to pick leaves out of her hair.

"Pretty good, actually." Lhamo finished brusquely with a lopsided smile; ignoring, unconcerned with the leaves and twig stuck in her own hair. "I'm impressed."

"That's really not saying much." Tashi quipped.

"Excuse me?!"

"I do faintly remember that one time you were sick and enthralled you could sneeze and launch yourself in the air." Sonam said, rubbing their chin as if they were pondering the deep mysteries of the universe.

Lhamo squinted, arms crossing. "Whatever, you both were just jealous of my skills."

"Uh huh," Tashi beamed, poking Lhamo in her side. "Totally got me, I was super jealous of snotty sneezebending."

"We're so not friends anymore."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that!" Tashi slung an arm around her 'so not my friend anymore's shoulders, grinning at Zuko who was just... staring at them awkwardly with a constipated look on his face; like the kid was concerned about their joking (unlikely, she'd seen his interactions with his cousin) or more likely concerned about getting sick and sneeze-launching himself. She chose to ignore the look and whatever caused it. "Anyways, I vote Zuko is ready."

Lhamo offered a contemplative hum, tossing a hand to the side. "Sure, I agree."

"Ready for..." Zuko trailed off, obviously concerned (he hoped this had nothing to do with sneezing).

Sonam twirled their staff in a circle, then with a flourish pointed it at Zuko. "To learn our super impressive marble technique, of course!"

"Wait... really?"

"Yup!" All three airbenders announce, simultaneously (clearly on the same wavelength, or just sharing a braincell).

"You have been training for a few months now, and honestly we..." Sonam rubbed the back on their neck sheepishly, offering a lopsided smile, "We've kinda run out of things to teach you."

Oh. Zuko couldn't stop his flinch at the statement. "Oh... I, umm, I—"

"No no no, none of that. It's time for marbles, not for culpability! Unless—" Tashi narrowed her eyes incredulously, “—You didn’t bring them with you.”

Zuko wasn’t entirely sure what that look was for, as at no point did anyone ask him to just carry around a bag of marbles everywhere he went; this went unsaid, as he was... actually, carrying said bag with him at all times. "Of course I have them." He scoffed, bristling if only for her accusation.

"Huh, really?"

"Yes!" Zuko bristled more, offended; everyone knew he was a lousy liar. "I have them... if I leave them unattended, uhh— Druk tries to swallow them."

(Druk instantly perked up at hearing his name, where he'd been lounging in the sun; he stood, stretched, and quickly made his presence known. The humans all seemed excited about something, perhaps it was time for a snack!)

Tashi blinked, not even a little surprised by that; the number of time inedible objects had been pulled out of that dragon's mouth, well... she was glad she didn't have to deal with it. "Okay then... marble time!"

(Druk realized, it was not snack time. It was apparently time for the humans to play with the little shiny glass things that he had been so scornfully denied access too. He wasn't clear on what 'choking' or 'hazard' meant, but he wasn't a fan of either word. Both were just as bad as the 'no' word he heard far too often.)

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

  


"It has been our tremendous honor to have these two as guests on our island these past six months," Chief Meztli started, voice loud and authoritative enough to be heard clearly over the large gathering of people attending the farewell feast, while gesturing towards Lu Ten and Zuko who sat at his sides, "It had brought me great satisfaction to be able to share our rich heritage with Vaatu's Avatar, as well as the future leader of the Fire Nation who aims to end the terrible war that plagues our world. These two have given our great masters Ran and Shaw the hope that one day their kind will be able to freely take to the skies once again! To a promising future!" He finished, raising his hands high as the crowd erupted in applause.

Lu Ten took it took the attention in stride, offering a stilted wave and a crooked smile. Zuko, on the other hand, took the attention with the grace of an unsocialized pygmy-puma; shrinking within himself, shuffling as best he could while sitting cross-legged on the ground in a feeble attempt at scooting behind the Chief.

(His attempts at hiding were ineffective.)

"You should start getting used to attention, you know." Meztli gave the boy a mischievous look as he sat back down, trying-but-failing to hide an amused smile. "You're an Avatar, eventually people will take notice of this fact."

"Bold to assume an Avatar us incapable of hiding," Zuko sniffed, crossing his arms in defiance, "The other Avatar has been doing so for almost a hundred years."

Meztli blinked slowly; well, the kid had him there didn't he. "I hope that's not an escape plan you've considered..."

"What?!" Zuko bristled, straightening up, "I, no—I wouldn't!"

"Good, I'm impressed with what you've accomplished so far in your time here. I would hate to see the world denied the opportunity to bear witness." Meztli clapped a hand to the boy's shoulder, just heavy enough to convey fondness (at least it wasn't responded to with a flinch this time); he let his hand linger only momentarily, before dropping it and scooting back enough to have a view of both his guests. "There's one last thing I'd like to discuss with you both, as I know you two will be leaving early in the morning."

"Uh, sure? Of course." Lu Ten nodded, watching the Chief apprehensively; sparing only a quick glance at Zuko, who was doing that make-myself-small-might-run-for-it thing he liked to do.

"My people have survived this long by living in secret, I would appreciate if you both could keep it that way."

Lu Ten opened his mouth, ready to say something, but snaped it shut when he noticed Zuko growing painfully rigid.

Metztli noticed the posture shift as well, suddenly very concerned about where this conversation might be going.

"I can't—I can't, promise that." Zuko clenched his jaw, locking eyes with the Chief, "There are airbenders here, Raava's Avatar... they're an airbender too. If they... come back, they deserve to know. To, meet each other."

"Oh." Meztli let out a ragged breath, "I understand that completely, and thank you for it, however I meant..." He waved a hand, looking for the polite way to word this...

"Don't tell anyone from our homicidal nation about your existence?" Lu Ten knew where this was going; no need to be nice about it. "Yeah that won't be a problem."

Zuko snorted. "Yeah I—" was going to agree vehemently, before being rudely interrupted.

"Guyyysss!" Atletl whined out, dramatically throwing herself haphazardly across Zuko's lap; ignoring his awkward sputtering about 'personal space' to instead grip at her chest. "I can't believe you're leaving us!"

"Yeah!" Tashi sniveled, giving her best impression of a dejected kit-pup as she slung her arms firmly around Zuko's shoulders. "After we just became friends!"

"It's cruel. Unforgivable!" Atletl wailed out.

Zuko made some sort of feral-exasperated noise while glowering down at the drama-queen sprawled across his lap. "Are you saying that because we're friends or because you're going to have to do your own chores now?"

Atletl gasped, mouth gawking in offense. "Betrayal!"

Tashi started laughing in a high-pitched-cackling sort of way, earning an elbow in her side from Zuko (that was right in his ear, and LOUD) causing her to laugh harder as she let go and fell backwards to the ground. The scene pulling (uncalled for) laughter out of Lu Ten, which led Zuko to glaring harder.

Atletl pouted, crossing her arms but making no attempt to move from the nice warm comfy lap of which she laid. "Nevermind I take it all back, I'm glad your both leaving."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! That's a thing happening here. Airbenders!
> 
> With, y'know, marbles. Because that's the first thing Aang does whenever he meets anyone/wants to show off. Clearly it's a ~thing~ and these goobers read about it in diaries and were just like ah yes, the sacred art of marble. 
> 
> It's probably not clear-clear, but several of the airbenders are a mix of Air Nomad and Sun Warrior (hence not all shaved heads, some hint of yellowish eyes). Why? Because I have no idea how many airbenders ended up there a hundred years ago, but that was a hot minute ago and at some point they'd all be related (noPe) they instead mingled and we've got some airbenders who look like sun warriors and some firebenders who look like air nomads and... 
> 
> Missed opportunities (disappointed in myself, making a nts). 
> 
> Also, idk where the whole "you gotta learn the elements in an exact order" came from, but clearly we've decided that's a very Raavaesque thing to do and therefore we're doing it however we want. By we I mean me.
> 
> And with this, we'll finally be leaving the island to greener pastures (or frozenier tundras hmm)!


	9. Trapped in the Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So two firebenders, a fledgling dragon, and two eel hounds sail into enemy territory...
> 
> What a really bad joke, right? 
> 
> Alternatively: Yue is having the time of her life and Tui straight up says hold my beer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes y'all, so sorry this chapter took basically forever. Hell (see: texas) froze over however many week ago and effectively disrupted my routine and through me off (ah, the domino effect). 
> 
> Nevertheless, here we are, another chapter (finally)! 
> 
> Also I'll note, since I know this has had a fair amount of sizable time jumps thus far (this fic is wordy enough already, I'm not making it worse) but at least we're entering the last phase of jumping now until we hit the "canon" age timeline. 
> 
> That said, just in case it isn't clear: at the beginning of this chapter is circa Yue two years ago when Zuko's agni kai took place, and after the first break it'll be idk real time(?), where both Zuko & Yue are 15, and Lu Ten is 25.

By the time Yue was thirteen she'd heard the story, and all of it's variations, a staggering number of times. 

Usually it was the same old tale recounted by their elders, in a mind-numbingly somber tone, while her people gathered mesmerized around a great brazier like it was the first time the tale was told; sometimes the story was a tad more ostentatious than reality, sometimes it was told more like a great tragedy, but every single time it was more or less the same fable over and over again. 

Oh our gracious and beloved Princess Yue was born silent, cold, and barely breathing; a delicate meek little thing of pure beauty and elegance. Her mother was distraught over her daughter's rapidly fading life, so cruel to be brought into our world only to quickly ripped away from her people. The mother raced from the healers to the Spirit Oasis to dunk her newborn in the water and beg Tui to save her life. Tui, knowing the greatest that would come from the Princess surviving, gave part of herself to the infant, saving her life and turning her hair as white as the moon! Tui's blessing upon the Princess yadda yadda. 

Blah, blah, blah. 

(It wasn't that she hated the sharing of stories, even the repeats. Of course she did, it was vital to their culture and a means of bringing everyone together. However, that story not so much.) 

Sure when Yue was a child the whimsical tale had made her bright and starry-eyed, especially when it made her think she was actually special. Like, sure, she was special because everyone was unique and interesting in their own ways but she'd foolishly thought being spirit blessed AND a Princess would make people listen to her. The great moon spirit herself had blessed her, HER! Surely her father and her people would respect that and listen to her ideas! 

Ha!

How naive she had been. 

No, she was still nothing but a girl who was to be seen and not heard; smile, wave, be adored by her people, and do as she's told. That had stung, but it was nothing compared to the harsh realities she learned throughout the years; more and more little truths clawed their way out of the shadows, the knowledge twisting more and more into an inescapable, suffocating existence. 

Yue was a Princess blessed by Tui, but yet she was to be betrothed to whomever managed to impress her father the most. She had no say in his choice, and would hold no influence over anything, would have no... anything. Just a pawn in someone else's game of gaining the title of Chief.

A pretty prize to be won. 

A pretty dutifully wife to keep her people's women in check. To know their place, and be happy for it. To smile and wave first as a daughter to the Chief, then a future of doing the exact same thing as the wife of a Chief with the expectation of bringing future Chiefs into this world; or worse, so so much worse, bringing daughters into this world who would... who would... she could scream. 

Once, Yue had been brave enough to ask her mother about a woman becoming Chief; she'd never seen her mother get so afraid, shushing and scolding over such a ludicrous question.

After that, she'd almost wished Tui had let her die as a baby; better to die innocent than to live as a tile on someone else's pai sho board. The truths of a life in the great city of Agna Qel’a had destroyed her every ambition, and had left her hollow and drifting. At just thirteen Yue had resigned her fate and just went through the motions, hiding her eroding mental state behind a visage of meek politeness. 

Then out of nowhere, a move was made by someone else that changed everything; just a few weeks after her thirteenth birthday. 

That particular day had been repetitive per usual; smile, wave, greet, sit, look pretty, say nothing, smile, wave, be dismissed, and repeat as necessary. Yue had turned in for the night, screamed into a pillow once she was finally alone, and after a few listless hours of staring at the ice ceiling above finally slipped into slumber. 

Or, at least, she had thought she was sleeping. 

The moment her awareness slipped into darkness, Yue found herself in an extremely vivid dream; was it actually a dream? In all her life she couldn't remember having a dream that was so... lucid? 

It was almost as if she were in the Spirit Oasis, only amplified; it was an endless span of soft grass, cool breezes, greenery, moss covered rocks, rolling hills, and the usual pond was as big as an ocean. She could feel it all, like she was really there instead of deep in a fantasy of her subconscious mind, and her only desire was to never leave this place. 

How sad was her life, to long for a dream to never end. 

"My dearest child, it pains me to know my blessing has become a curse."

Yue's heart caught in her throat, a chill running throughout her entire body. "E—excuse me?" Her voice was small, somehow quieter than usual; she wasn't entirely sure she wanted the speaker to acknowledge her. 

The voice didn't answer; it really didn't have to, and they both knew it. 

"Th—this isn't a dream... is it?" Yue's face fell into a frown, as she took slow and thoughtful steps towards the giant pool of water; vast and endless, deep and reflective of every star that dazzled overhead. 

"No it is not, my dear." 

"Is this, the..." Of course it was; it couldn't even be a blissful dream Yue could hope to never wake from, just her luck. "This is the spirit world."

"It is, where my spirit seeks refuge when disconnected from the mortal flesh I'm bound to." 

Yue again shuffled closer to the water, peering down and marveling at it's beauty; how her reflection was as clear as if she were looking into a mirror; instantly noticing just how big the spirit of both Tui and La really were while in their own world. 

Each koi, still dancing in their neverending circle of harmony, appeared bigger than her entire city. Some part of her wanted to scream in terror and recoil, but a deep rooted part of her knew there was nothing for her to fear in this place. Especially not from the spirits of her people. 

"Why did you save me as a baby?" A bold and presumptuous question to ask of the spirit who'd saved her life, Yue was aware, but it'd been one that had come to haunt her and she just had to know why. 

"I had hoped the outcome of my involvement would bring upon change in the heart to your people, not a petty war for seeking power." The koi's words, more a voice in the mind than verbal, never wavered from her circling. "I am as disappointed in that as you my dear child, and I feared for many years after that events would transpire that would cause your life to be cut short." 

"Oh." Yue glanced away from the waters, averting her eyes. She didn't want to admit that wasn't as a concerning thought as it should be; to ask how short lived were they talking about. She didn't want to make the spirits gift look in vain. 

"Something has happened recently, though, and now your destiny has the potential for change once more. I have brought you here to explain as much as I can." 

"Oh?" Yue's attention snapped back to the koi, a look of uncertainty and hesitation on her face; she didn't want to get her hopes up over what that might mean. 

"Yes, a young boy my brother has vested interest in has been put in a position to become a second... what you humans refer to as an Avatar, and in a twist of fate I was able to champion for your involvement in his endeavors." 

"A—a second Avatar?" Did they even have a first Avatar anymore? How many decades have they been gone, no trace... would a second one even, could they do anything? "Wait... your brother?" Yue questioned, perplexed. 

A tinkling sound echoed through the breeze, like raindrops against glass windows; the laughter of spirits. "Yes, my brother Agni. I understand if you are reluctant to seek solace in this. The humans bond to him have been the source of destruction in your world for far too long. However I was there for the unity between this human and the great spirit, and I know you have nothing to fear from him." 

"But, I—" Yue swallowed hard, fidgeting from one foot to the other; conflicted with thoughts and with an ever growing number of questions, "—What... why does this have to do with me, though? How am I supposed to... to, help?" 

"I'm glad you asked, my child. With this shift in fate I have been given the opportunity to seek further blessings for you, so that you may help teach this new Avatar. You will be given a gift by La this night, and for all nights your bending shall be guided by them, until the time comes for you to rise and carve your own destiny."

"La? Do you mean... I—I'm going to be a waterbender?" 

"If you will it to be, then yes." 

"Um, yes! Yes of course!" Yue beamed down at the koi, her eyes dancing from black to white as they spun in their perfect circle around one another. "But... my time to rise? Oh and, how will La teach me? You—you must know how..." She couldn't say it, didn't want to admit to how exactly waterbending and women didn't exactly mix in her tribe. 

"You will find water at night, be it open ocean, the piers, or the canals that line the streets. Once you find a secluded spot, La will come to you with guidance. Your rising will be leaving your tribe and traveling the world with this Avatar as his waterbending master. You will see much and learn more than you can imagine, it will not be easy, but when you return home you will be more worthy to be Chief than any in the past hundred years. Your people will champion for you, instead of whom you are tied to."

Yue watched the koi with distant eyes, heart racing and thoughts spinning; leaving her tribe, traveling with an Avatar as a... a waterbending MASTER? Leaving her tribe. Leaving... seeing the world, maybe turning her tribe's anti-woman archaic traditions on their stupid heads. 

"Can, can I just leave like that? What about, umm, the other... expectations for me?" Yue bit her lip, she could hope but could spirits actually do anything... 

"Other expectations?" Regardless of spending most of her time living simply in the human world, Tui really struggled to grasp the tedious nonsense of her humans. 

Oh. Well of course spirits wouldn't know about human stuff. "Erm, I am to be betrothed against my wishes in a few years. When I turn sixteen, actually. To—to be dutiful to both him and to my people." 

"Ah. Well I cannot force a human hand, exactly, but I understand your departure may require intervention and perhaps I can mention this as well?" Tui couldn't help but be amused; humans were really such simple things, with simple fears and easily finding solace in the smallest gestures. "You should relax my child, remember everything I have said and starting tomorrow in the night seek the water so you may begin training with La." 

"Of course, I... I will. Thank you Tui! Oh, and La, thank you both!" Yue grinned, tears stinging her eyes as she felt hope for the first time in so many years. She felt excited about waking up, for once, knowing good things were to come. For her, for the world hopefully, and she would be able to help! 

A new feeling of purpose warmed her as the beautiful oasis around her started to fade into darkness; her trip to the spirit world ending, as her own spirit returned to the soft slumber of her body. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

To be honest Yue knew this day would be coming. 

Eventually, she knew it would happen, and every single evening for nearly two entire years she went to sleep hoping that would be the night. 

The night Tui would yet again made herself known; to bring with her the news that Yue's role as nothing more than a dignified placid little doll in the game of men would finally come to an end and her true calling would finally come to fruition. 

It really couldn't happen soon enough. 

She'd turned fifteen not a week ago, seven tiny little days, and yet already her father was speaking to suitors and discussing politics, and watching clusters of boys grunt and... and stab at each other with weapons and ice, to prove themselves worthy of the space around her neck. The space where a constricting, suffocating, betrothal necklace would be clasped to seal her fate. It hadn't even happened yet, but the thought of it alone was enough to strangle her in her sleep; even as her spirit was tugged into another world, one she hadn't seen in so long, she could feel it the very idea choking her like a shackle in an attempt to hold her spirit back. 

It'd been nearly two years.

Two very long, agonizing, years; years of holding her tongue, smiling and nodding, being quiet as an artic mouse, having no sway in the choices that effected her own life nor the lives of her people, having to sneak around at night to waterbend, and listening to the claims of prosperity while her own women were suppressed. Not to mention the constant tutting of their sister tribes wellbeing (or lack there of). 

Every once in a while they'd be brought up, the Southern Tribes, usually regarding mumbled rumors of a Southern fleet defending their waters from further encroachment. 

(That's what they deserved, was said, for allowing women to fight! If women healed and men fought, they'd still have benders, was claimed. If they kept their women in line the Fire Nation wouldn't have even known they had female benders, they chuckled.) 

She couldn't wait to be free from this place. 

(She was ready to flee, or destroy it herself in a fit of rage.) 

As Yue stood, in that vast oasis with it's beautiful neverending warmth and scenery, she beamed; tears threatening to well from the overwhelming feeling of hope. This was it, it had to be, the time had finally come; her legs wobbled as she sprinted towards the giant endless sea she still remembered from the first time she was pulled into the world of spirits. "Tui?"

"Hello child, you seem much happier than the last time we spoke."

"I—yes. Well, hopefully?" Yue blushed, trying to laugh but it came out more of a gargled huff of a breath. "I hope I have cause for excitement?"

"Ah, well I share your hope as well. Tomorrow will bring this Avatar into the waters of your tribe. I'm sure you know it will not be a welcomed arrival. The best course, I believe, is to wait for your father's men to bring them ashore and for you to meet them there. I plan to watch over you, in the event of needing to intervene."

"Great! That's great, I can't wait." Tears threatened to fall once more, but Yue's smile was bright enough to rival the glow of the moon that hung overhead. She was so relieved she almost, almost, missed the word 'them'. "Wait—" she blinjed, head tilting to watch the looping koi, "—them?" 

"Ah." Whoops, slip of the thought. Tui's neverending, perfect, circle faltered just slightly; not enough to be caught by mortal sight, but enough for La to snort in amusement. Well, Agni had told her more about his two humans, but he'd never explicitly stated what information NOT to share; just that it'd be wise to be vague for practical safety, less something slip that could disrupt their plans. 

Ah well, the two would be there tomorrow anyways; it wasn't like a great deal of harm could happen between morning and arrival. "Very perceptive my child." Tui stated with fondness; she always knew her chosen was a clever one, "Yes, it will be a they. The Avatar is named Zuko, and with him comes his cousin Lu Ten. Both are, technically, called Princes in their own nation but it will be wise to not refer to the Avatar as such." 

"Oh." Yue blinked. Well that was interesting, other royalty! She wondered if their experiences were as... grating as her own; perhaps they could bond over it! Like, friends! "I will be sure to refer to them as such." She offered, with a nod; not entirely sure why it mattered, but she'd obliged regardless. 

"Do you wish to know one more secret?" 

Yue beamed, eyes wide. "Of course!" 

"This Avatar has a dragon." 

"What??" Yue gawked, "Really? A dragon?" 

Tui chuckled, a soft jingling in the soft breeze. "Indeed, the first hatched since the war began. Now then, you should sleep now child. Tomorrow you will have a very eventful day, and you will need to be well rested." 

With that Tui gave a gentle push to her human's spirit, coaxing it back to her where her body lay waiting for her return. 

Yue knew sleep was a very good idea, but as her mind settled back into her body she doubted the ability to do so; how was she expected to sleep now? Now that she knew tomorrow was the day everything would change? 

The Avatar would be here, so soon yet not soon enough. He would be here, and her would finally be able to start living her life. 

Finally. 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

To say Zuko or Lu Ten had been expecting a warm welcome would have been an understatement.   
  
(Really, they'd set the bar low. Their most optimistic outcome was not being killed immediately.)  
  
Like their arrival was just, essentially, a bad joke: so two firebenders, a fledgling dragon, and two eel hounds sail into enemy territory...  
  
It was a joke so bad, even if it were told drunkenly at a bar people would still question ‘no one would be that stupid’. For that they’d be wrong, because that is exactly how it went down. What else were they going to do, wait a couple years for Druk to be big enough to fly them in?   
  
Right because that'd be less threatening than a beat-up Earth Kingdom catamaran.   
  
As expected, them sailing into Water Tribe waters was met with a sunken boat, bodies frozen in blocks of ice, and a very upset dragon spewing fire at anyone who got too close; the only two merely inconvenienced, mildly growly about their frozen confinement, but otherwise impassive to the ordeal were the eel hounds.   
  
Probably because, at some point, they’d be freed… and, well, revenge was a dish best served cold.  
  
(On the brightside at least their belongings had been confiscated and frozen in a separate block of ice. More than likely to be searched, or kept, but their packs weren't lost so there was that.)   
  
"Druk would you... Druk— DRUK!" Zuko barked out while leveling a scowl at the dragon, who was deadset on ignoring the shouts to instead squawk indignantly (in between blasting fire at the chunks of ice his person was trapped in). Sighing, Zuko tried to temper his face to look more neutral, like he wasn't ready to set pretty much everything on fire, as he stared down the tribesmen; who were, presently, making no such attempt to appear anything less than adamantly volatile.   
  
Zuko tried a different approach, offering a lopsided, friendly-ish grin; swatting at the dragon to knock it off the second one of his arms was freed.   
  
The tribesmen, in return, scowled harder.   
  
Water frozen in sharp spears hovered mid-air, all pointed directly at the intruders, while snarling hatred was the collective vibe amongst them all. Which was, you know, fair; unappreciated, but fair. "Hello, so... uhh, I know this looks pretty—no, really bad but, I promise we're not Fire Nation. Well I mean we are, obviously, but not like WITH the fire nation? We want to end the, uhh, the Fire Lord and the war."  
  
The water tribesmen didn't look impressed, not even a little.  
  
Lu Ten, equally, didn't look impressed; leveling his cousin a look that said 'wow dumbass... really?'.  
  
"Okay... so I guess I should have led with I'm an Avatar, you know? And my spirit, he told me I need to come here for waterbending. To learn it, I mean? Right, to learn waterbending. From—from, you. Well not you specifically but, from someone. That’s… here." Zuko’s voice got higher, before abruptly cutting himself off from the ramble; less he somehow made the situation worse than it already was with his embarrassing inability to form sentences.  
  
That earned a few raised eyebrows, but otherwise the hostile scowls (and ice spears) stayed intact.   
  
"Sure you are, you ashmaking scout."  
  
"If you unfreeze me I can show you?" Zuko tried; sure he could melt the ice, easily, but even he knew how badly that'd turn out.   
  
"Uh huh, like we're falling for that." One of the men sneered, while another snickered. "If you're the Avatar why don't you unfreeze yourself, ashmaker." That earned a few condescending chuckles.  
  
Zuko's good eye twitched. If he could waterbend himself out they wouldn't fucking be here now would they, was what he'd have loved to say, but he had just enough restraint to... not. Instead he decided to do something even stupider; the thing he knew was a bad idea, a really bad idea, but... well, they suggested it. "Okay."  
  
He took a few deep breaths and focused his body heat while suppressing the fire from erupting (because he wasn’t that stupid, these people hated him PLUS the boat was made of wood); the ice melted quickly to a puddle of water that was just as quickly called back to the very irate tribesmen. Technically speaking, it wasn't Zuko's fault they didn't specify how he unfroze himself (it was viewed as very much his fault) and within seconds there were shards of ice overhead that hesitated too long before being launched at him.   
  
"Hey, can you just—shit!" Zuko yelped out before tugging at a nearby gust of wind with quick spin, twisting it underfoot to launch himself (with an superfluous, but deliberate, backflip) over both the hovering ice spears and the tribesmen; landing quietly behind them with a gust of air. "So, airbending right?"  
  
He shouldn't be cocky, he was in no position to be a little shit about the current situation, but let it be known: while Zuko might typically be inept at picking up social queues, in the event of noticing them he was just as capable at disregarding them entirely.   
  
"You little..." One of the men sneered, dragging up a wave of water easily big enough to wash everyone off deck and thrust it; only to have it pulled aside as Zuko dropped into a quick spin, using the momentum of the air to drag the water around him in a circle, before letting it flow back to the ocean.   
  
Everyone took a moment for a silent standoff; mostly a sea of dumbfounded faces shared amongst the tribesmen (who weren’t entirely sure that was airbending or waterbending, but it was definitively not firebending), a very judgy-and-completely-done cousin still encased in ice, two now-annoyed eel hounds, Druk blowing puffs of fire at an ice spear to watch it melt, and Zuko who desperately wished he knew what to say that wouldn’t escalate things (again).   
  
"So..." Zuko started awkwardly, wringing his hands together in a meager attempt at not doing anything to look threatening.   
  
"I guess we should take them to the Chief." One of the men grunted, clearly uneasy and suddenly aware containing the enemy wasn’t going to be as easy as assumed.  
  
Perfect, let's do that; is what Zuko was smart enough to not say, just barely; this idea was tolerable, he could work with it. No reason to open his mouth and screw this up.

Three of the waterbenders stood in a rooted and alert stance, ready to attack the second the unfrozen firebender (Avatar, allegedly) so much as breathed wrong; the rest of the men moved in a series of fluid motions, pushing their ship as fast as they could back towards the giant ice wall. The sooner they got past the wall, they could dock and figure out exactly how to bring their captives to their Chief; maybe they could just... bury them up to their necks in ice and have guards bring the Chief to them instead. 

Either way the sooner the better, then this would become someone else's problem. 

(Or so they thought.) 

As soon as the giant ice wall was lowered the piers were in view, and the men instantly went on high alert; for some very unfathomable, and very problematic, reason their Princess was standing alone, unguarded, with her eyes trained on their ship as she clearly waited for them; her long purplish-blue robes and shining white hair standing out like a sore thumb, with a shit-eating toothy grin that absolutely said she wasn't supposed to be there like she absolutely was. 

By the time the men waterbending the ship took notice of her and dropped their hold on the water, it was too late to abort mission. If they tried to turn the ship around now the currently unfrozen ashmaker could easily make a jump for the pier; he didn't, he didn't so much as budge from where he stood on deck, but he did glance over his shoulder to see what exactly everyone was gawking at... a girl?

Zuko didn't know who she was or why she was there, but he did know two things: girls were often (usually) more scary than boys, and she must be important because every single tribesmen on the ship was suddenly panicking. 

(He almost felt... jealous of that fact. Two firebenders and a dragon on a wooden, flammable, boat hadn't caused such a stir.) 

"Good afternoon men, Avatar Zuko, Prince Lu Ten." Yue smiled, as politely as ever, with a partial bow her eyes darting quickly between the two firebenders. She hadn't really known what to expect, other than the two would be firebenders (children of Agni, she recalled) but somehow she was expecting people who looked more... diabolical, or grotesque? It definitely wasn't a boy, maybe her own age, with a disheartening scar and a lopsided ponytail, nor was it a young adult still stuck in ice and looking... resigned? Huh. 

(She also wasn't sure which one was the Avatar, yet, so hopefully one of them would chime in about it before she embarrassed herself with assumptions.) 

The tribesmen all made an interesting array of undignified faces, and noises, while their Princess looked at them smugly.

"Uh, Hi... Avatar Zuko here?" Smooth, like a dumbass Zuko offered a wave; gaining a snicker from whoever the girl was. Who somehow knew who he was? 

_'That's your future master of water, child, show her respect.'_ Vaatu offered, hoping to somehow prevent his vessel from making this even worse; best to save that for later, when slaughter was less of an option. 

"Fuck." Perfect first impression, how much worse could he make this before they decided to just kill them. "I mean, uh, you must be my... well I guess, waterbending master?" Zuko stammered out. 

Yue snickered; she'd never probably admit it, less the poor guy launch himself into the freezing water, but she was glad the Avatar was awkward and not yet another pompous asshole of a boy. She'd already had her fill of guys like that. "Yes, that would be me. I'm Princess Yue, but just Yue is fine."

"Oh, uh.. cool? I am—I mean, I guess I already... right it's a pleasure to meet you." Zuko rambled, pausing to wave a hand in his cousins direction, "This is my cousin, Lu Ten." 

"Charmed." Lu Ten deadpanned, "I'd wave or something, but as you can tell..." he trailed off, glancing down to where he was absolutely still up to his elbows in a block of ice; inconveniently in general, not to mention pretty fucking cold. 

"Oh.. oh!" Yue blinked, flushing; in the rush she hadn't even noticed, whoops that was rude. "Apologies for my, erm, oversight." She said, raising her hands high to grab hold of the frozen block of ice then relaxing her hands slowly, lowering her arms; the block of ice melting away into a puddle on deck. "There, now then! Men, if you would be so kind please show the mounts to our stables before you return to the city?" Though stated as a question, it was clearly not; Yue held her head high, her expression soft but her eyes sharp as ice. "And Avatar Zuko, Prince Lu Ten... if you don't mind, please follow me. My father, Chief Arnook, has been told to expect visitors and should be waiting for us."

(Yue knew actually bending, openly in front of her tribesmen, was considered quite dishonorable but now... finally, she couldn't care less. They could judge her all they wanted, they could balk at Pakku until they were blue in the face over her melting their little ice block, but now she was so so close to tasting freedom; true freedom, for the first time in her life. She really didn't care what they said or did, not anymore.) 

Yue spun around in heel and sauntered down the pier; not waiting for her 'guests' to follow, but keeping a slow enough pace until she heard the two sets of feet catching up to her, finally noticing the shadow moving overhead from what she assumed was the dragon(!!!) flying above them. She couldn't wait to meet it, hopefully it'd like her; after all how often did one get to meet a dragon! 

(She hadn't even known they still existed, the library hadn't been very helpful regarding what to expect.) 

They made it all the way to where the wooden docks met the iced pavement of their city streets before Yue spared a glance over her shoulder at Zuko; her eyes dancing with excitement. "So you're really an Avatar, right?"

"Huh?" Zuko blinked, somehow surprised by being questioned. "Uhh, I mean yeah? Yes. Avatar. That's, umm, me."

"He's also always this stunted, so don't give yourself too much credit." Lu Ten added, from her other side; giving his cousin a shitty grin.

"Wow, thanks for that." Zuko deadpanned. 

"Oh this is going to be fun, I can tell! My father will hate this so much." Yue grinned, eyes flitting from one to the other; this was just icing on the cake-tart of a very good day. 

"That shouldn't... be a good thing?" Zuko gave her a concerned look; he was very much on board with pissing off parents and all, but he did kind-of-really need a waterbending master. "If he's upset about this, there's no way I can stay here and train with you."

"Oh!" Yue blinked, taken aback; that was on her, she probably should be taking this time to... elaborate. "His opinion is irrelevant, we're not staying."

Zuko stopped walking, gawking at her in shock; Lu Ten wasn't far behind him. "What?" 

"Not staying?" Yue turned, give both of them a very this-isn't-open-for-negotiation sort of look. "We'll only be staying for as long as it takes them to ready a ship and crew for departure." 

"They... they—your father is going to just... let you leave?" Zuko continued gawking at her, while gesturing a hand in between himself and Lu Ten, "With us?" He couldn't fathom whatever conversation they were having right now; there was a whole ass war going on, and she's a Princess? Just, letting her leave? With the perceived enemy? 

"Well, not willingly, no. But Tui and I have a plan, and you should both know how hard it is to deny spirits what they want." Yue nodded with a small but very mischievous smile, like that was just the end of the discussion, and started walking again.

Like that was that. Easy peasy.

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

That was that.

Albeit not exactly easy peasy.

It had started about as well as the whole ship ordeal had; they entered the main towering palace, guards had rushed in, there was a lot of yelling, firebenders were (again) encased in ice, Druk caught four tapestries on fire, and Yue had gotten in on the yelling while melting ice everytime it trapped someone. After a few more rinse and repeats they'd eventually made it to the Chief's office.

Once there more yelling proceeded to take place, a desk was torched by an angry dragon avoiding a water attack before seeking refuge in the fireplace, and Zuko considered himself nice enough to snuff out the flaming desk before it burnt to the ground; it was not perceived as a token gesture of kindness. The still intact desk still stood, albeit a bit charred, and it was the only barrier between two groups having a glaring standoff: Arnook and three guards versus Yue and two firebenders (Druk was still keen on the idea of the nice, safe, warm fireplace; even if he barely fit). 

"Yue when you said you were expecting visitors, this—" Arnook paused, waving a hand in the general direction of the two ashmakers with a sneer, "— is NOT what I expected! Do you even know what you've done?" 

"Of course I do!" Yue snapped, hands balled up into fists at her sides, "This is an Avatar and his cousin! It is my destiny to—" 

"It is your destiny to stay loyal to your people Yue!" Arnook barked, speaking over her, "You are a Princess and you have a duty to—" 

"NO!" Yue screamed over him, vibrating with an anger that'd been building for years; the temperature in the room dropping noticeable alongside her every word. "That is what YOU demand of me, but I am to be so much more than just a puppet!" 

"Yue, this is absurd." Arnook waved a dismissive hand at his daughter, "Even if I believed this... boy, was the Avatar, this is just... madness. You are no master and we cannot allow their kind to stay within our walls." 

"Says you." Yue sneered. 

"Excuse me?" 

"You heard me, father!" Yue stomped her foot, pointing a stiff finger in his direction, "Just because I'm a girl does NOT mean I'm incapable of mastering my element. Just because Pakku is ill-equipped to train me, does not mean I've gone without a master! The spirits have chosen me, and it's their—" 

"ENOUGH!" Arnook rose, slamming his hands hard against his desk as he stood. "That is enough of this childish nonsense!" 

It was at that point, Tui lost interest in watching and decided the time for chatting was over.

(Listen, both Zuko and Lu Ten had experience with spirits; Zuko was literally a vessel housing a great spirit capable of mass destruction. That still wasn't enough to prepare either of them for a very angry, very done, moon spirit taking control of the human she'd blessed and was very attached to.) 

(Yue had told them that Tui and she had a plan, yet apparently boys were terrible at connecting dots.)

Time felt like it came to a stop with every action seeming to happen in slow motion. Yue's eyes glazed over appearing to almost glow while all moisture in the room was sucked towards her body, leaving the air around them so dry it hurt to breathe, the large wooden doors sealed shut with ice, twisting rings of water looped in large circles around Yue's body, and when she finally spoke it was both her voice teamed with something else entirely inhuman. 

They spoke as one, Tui and Yue, in a booming voice that echoed in the confined space of the room, and they had everyone's complete undivided attention.

(Even Vaatu was enthralled; he was quite impressed with the theatrics of this little show. Not to mention the sheer chaos of the situation unfolding.) 

_**"You WILL listen and you will WILL heed my warning mortal. This child— no MY child, has found blessing from my partner La as well as myself, she has been given favor by my brother Agni, and was acquiesced by the great spirit Vaatu as the master to teach the Avatar who stands before you. My child's destiny is far greater than being a pawn in some boy's fantasy of becoming future leader of your people. She WILL be allowed to shape her own path and her requests shall be honored."**_ Yue's head turned slowly, unseeing eyes locking with those of her father's; they narrowed, the circling whips of water hardening to thick rings of ice, as if to prove a point. _ **"If you dare deny my wishes for my child— to deny the requests of your guiding spirits— it will not be taken lightly. Do you understand me human?"**_

"I, yes. Yes of course Tui." Chief Arnook was pale, confused, and in that moment more terrified than he'd ever been in his life; he bowed his head out of both respect and fear. "W—we never meant to dishonor you. We will not deny your demands, or my daughters."

_**"See that you don't. May we never again be forced to converse under such circumstances."** _

In the blink of an eye, as quickly as it started, Tui let loose of her hold on Yue; the twirling ropes of water and ice splashed back to the floor, her eyes returning to their normal soft blue, the ice around the door splintering as it melted. Her body wobbled, before Yue caught herself; back straight, head held up, eyes still locked on her father before her with defiance. "I'm leaving, you know that right?"

Chief Arnook, simply nodded; he had a lot of opinions regarding his daughter leaving, both in general but especially in the company of a surmised Avatar. An Avatar who just so happened to be an ashmaker. His gut reaction was absolutely fucking not under any circumstance, Tui be damned, and to toss these two men into a cell so deep underground they'd forget what the sun even was. He could use them as ransom, a possible means to getting something out of this ordeal. 

However if this boy was indeed a human bonded with spirit, to do so would have dire consequence. Plus, perhaps offering hospitality to these two ashmakers would have to be a worthwhile endeavor in the long run. 

(Right?) 

"We need a ship readied, leaving as soon as possible." Yue was keeping her composure, but barely. She wanted to run to the docks, toss her belongings on the first ship she saw, and leave immediately; be far away before reality set in and her father could change his mind and lock her away for the rest of her life.

"Most of the fleet are out patrolling our waters, outside of the one that brought these ash— our, honored guests. We can ready that ship easily but the men were due back for shore leave, so it would be kind to allow them that time do you not agree?" Arnook spoke mostly to his daughter, but his eyes slid from her to the older boy and then settled on the Avatar; knowing damn well their kind were not known for kindness, running everything and everyone into the ground without remorse.

"Of course." Zuko frowned, understanding the game immediately; he might be young, but he knew the expectations of his nation's enlisted and what was being suggested. "I know what you think of our people, and I'm of the same opinion. We—we both are." He said while nodding in Lu Ten's direction. 

"I sincerely doubt that." Arnook scoffed at the audacity of such a statement. 

"In that you would be wrong, sir." Lu Ten stated, with a formality drilled deep from years of experience as a Prince. "We have both experienced, first hand, the same brand of cruelty as you and your people have. Do not underestimate our enmity towards our nations leadership." 

Arnook studied them briefly, only to bark out a disgusted laugh. "And why would I believe that?" 

Both Zuko and Lu Ten glanced at one another, sharing a look of unease and resign. 

Zuko sighed. "We were both, once, Princes of the Fire Nation." He started, ignoring the gawking and tension building in the air; if he didn't get it out now, he never would. "My fat—my, father... is Ozai. He issued orders that'd see Lu Ten killed in action, only unsuccessful due to spirit involvement. Once he, Ozai that is, was crowned Fire Lord I... I spoke out against him, he—he wanted me dead for it. He was almost successful. The great spirit Vaatu saved me, and... and, well..." He quieted, trailing off to an awkward silence, and called a small burst of wind to his open palm from the draft creeping in from the fireplace; toying with it lazily before letting it spin away, watching as it riffled through the charred papers that'd been pushed off the desk in the earlier scuffle. 

Arnook watched the papers move with a disconcerting gaze; as much as he really, really, didn't want to admit to himself this ashmaker was the Avatar... that was clearly airbending. Unless it was, some bizarre fireless-firebending trick (he wouldn't put anything past them). "So, why exactly did... Ozai, want both of you dead?" Logically he assumed there was a reason, but the Fire Nation didn't exactly seem... capable of rational of thought. 

"To put it simply," Lu Ten offered, with a shrug that was far too casual for the circumstances, "We were in the way." 

"In... the way." Arnook repeated; his expectations for a reason had been low and yet, he was still dumbfounded by the answer given. 

"Pretty much. Ozai was the younger brother who wanted the crown. By removing the older brother's heir, he assumed the crown would be given to him." Lu Ten said, knowing it sounded as stupid as it was. "It didn't work, until it did." 

Zuko was tense, beyond tense, really; his nerves sparking, his skin was too tight, and all he wanted to do was scream and set the whole room on fire. He didn't want to talk about this, at all, it was hard and it still hurt, but he knew he had to; the Water Tribe didn't trust him—trust them, the Princess had already made up her mind to leave with them, to train him... and he owed them information. That didn't make it easy, less painful, though. 

"It worked because the previous Fire Lord called for my execution. An eye for an eye, my mother... she did something. Grandfather died, she was gone, and Ozai had the crown. That happened overnight." Zuko swallowed, trying to breathe as normally as he could; to explain what he could, what he actually knew. "Ozai never wanted me, he—he, umm, wanted me dead at birth. Anyways, I was in the way of my sister. I made a... a mistake, and he saw an out." 

Lu Ten shuffled slightly, feeling this just as painfully as his cousin but just a bit more schooled at hiding it. "My death is on record, and Zuko is considered both banished and missing. We hold no allegiance to the current Fire Lord, and our goal is to end him." He stated; an attempt to take the burden of the conversation back to himself. 

"And then what?" Arnook was still being cautious, but he felt a prick of hope that maybe by not tossing them both in a cell might be a good move.

"Kill Ozai, detain the Princess, take the throne." Lu Ten quipped, with a firm nod. "Then, of course, end the war immediately."

"You will take the throne?" Arnook raised a curious eyebrow; at no point had Fire Nation government and ruling ever been discussed here, it would have been a waste of time; the easiest way to end the war, in his opinion, was slaughter anyone of royal blood. There being an alternative, seemed...   
worth noting, especially if it was in the favor of his people, but a tad too optimistic for his palate. 

"That's our plan. The war has been unjust since it started and it has to end. Any alliances we can tentatively make, in the meantime, will just make it easier on the backend." Lu Ten said, offered, almost hoped would be an opportunity; he had doubts it'd be an option currently, but perhaps it'd lead to something one day. 

"Huh." That, Arnook considered, was unexpected. He leaned back in his chair, and despite himself his face betrayed his astonishment. "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate some time to consider what's been said. If possible, I'd like to continue this conversation prior to your departure."

The two firebenders shared a glance with each other; a dialog of facial expressions as they silently discussed.

Zuko's eyes snapped to the Chief, a toothy grin on his face. “As long as your plan isn't to take us as war prisoners." He hadn't needed Vaatu's commentary on the situation to know that idea hadn't been entirely dismissed, and it was worth saying it aloud to ensure everyone else knew they knew.

"Otherwise, we're happy to assist while we're here. Assuming, of course, we have nothing to worry about." Lu Ten added, looking exactly as composed yet suspicious as he was.

"Of course not. I'll admit I considered the idea, but having two people of royal blood who've aligned with our side of the war is an opportunity I would be foolish to disregard." Arnook rose from his seat, finally, arm held out in a welcoming wave of a gesture. "For the duration of your stay, you both will be considered our honored guests and are to be treated as such. I'll ensure everyone knows this by the end of the day. Until then, Princess can you show them to our guest quarters? I'd prefer the tour of our city waits until after guest rights are formally in place."

"Of course father, my pleasure." Yue offered a curt nod, a polite bow, then spun on heel to hide the massive grin on her face as she moved to swing the large doors open; ignoring the hoard of guards who'd been eavesdropping on the other side and leading the way past them. 

Not that she could blame them for spying; nothing this interesting had happened in a decade or so. The stories that'd be born from this week would be endless.

(At least there'd be new stories to be told, one's that didn't involve her blessing as an infant.) 

✦✶✦✶✦✶✦✶✦

Guest rights were, predictably, not happening anytime soon and Yue was apparently the only one who'd been riled up over it; or at least with enough clout to cause a scene, before promptly locking herself up with the guests in question until her father 'pulled the spear out of his rear-end' (she didn't say that to his face, she wasn't brave enough. Yet). 

So they sat, scattered around in the guest quarters the two firebenders had, begrudgenly, been offered to stay in; a private living space, whilst objectively one of the smallest offerings available, it wasn't as bad as expected (it wasn't a frozen prison cell, or a boot in the rear). Yue was sitting on the edge of one of the two small beds while the other two were sitting across from one another on the floor, noticeably closer to the roaring stone fireplace; not sitting as close to the flame as Druk, who was a few scoots away from just laying in the fireplace itself. 

(He was still warmer than the eel hounds who'd been moved to the kennels with the polar bear dogs, which had caused a bizarre semi-standoff between two semi-canine animals who shared an equal apprehension of each other; up until two very large very furless eel hounds felt a cold draft and realized the polar bear dogs were very warm, fluffy, and too unsure of the situation to object to their cuddle pile being encroached upon.) 

(If the two tribesmen who'd been tasked to house the eel hounds had a quiet debate over how big of a sled two eel hounds could pull, if given proper cold weather attire, well that was between them.) 

"Soo..." Yue awkwardly glanced down at her two new... friends(?); was it too soon to consider themselves friends after only meeting a few hours ago? She'd never had actual friends before... no of course they were friends. "What's it like to be the, oh you know... Avatar, and stuff." 

"Uhh..." Zuko started, scratching idly at the back of his neck; as terribly stilted as the 'friendly chatting' was, honestly? He was feeling a bit better about himself; turns out he wasn't the only socially inept teen. "I mean it's... uhh, cool? I guess... but I'm not the Avatar, there's two of us. Technically."  
  
"Technically." Lu Ten repeated, with a sage nod and a vastly less sageful snort of amusement; he was literally going to laugh himself to an early grave if these two idiots didn't figure out how to use their words. Okay sure, fine, growing up in the Caldera the concept of friendship had been regarded as a weakness to be exploited by one’s enemies and formal etiquette was concerned as vastly more significant than casual banter; Obviously he got that, but still, watching this was hilarious. "But the other one has been missing for, well you know." Lu Ten added, with a pained expression.   
  
Yue knew that; everyone knew that, how could they not? The comet came, the air nomads died, the war exploded, their sister Tribe was decimated, and the entire time the Avatar was just… gone. Or missing, apparently? "So they—the other Avatar, they're not..." She trailed off.   
  
"Gone?" Zuko mused, tilting his head to the side as Yue gave him a half-nod and a shrug; he assumed that was a more-or-less ‘yes’ to his question, "Not... gone, really? Kinda like, they're alive but in a sorta... stasis? It's… weird and I don't really get it but they're not gone-gone. That's what Vaatu says, anyways."   
  
Yue offered a thoughtful hum, bringing her knees to her chest to wrap her arms around them. She didn't really know what to think about a not-gone-just-missing Avatar. In theory it should be a thrilling concept, that the original Avatar was still out there alive and waiting for some unknown force to trigger their awakening; she couldn’t find comfort in it, though. The idea was tarnished, a once optimism now lacklustered with taint that inspired nothing more than the desire to abandon all hope. The other Avatar still existed but wasn't around despite the war having raged on for almost a hundred years now; did they not care, did they not know, how could someone still be alive all this time but in some kinda weird inertia state of existence?  
  
"So... what's he like?" Yue settled on asking instead, pushing away the thoughts of a person who might never actually wake up. Might not care, even if they did awaken; why burden herself with gloomy thoughts for a person who wasn’t tangible, especially when she had a whole Avatar who was alive sitting right in front of her.  
  
"Who?" Zuko gave her a scrunched up perplexed sorta look; he assumed she meant the other Avatar, but how was he supposed to know anything about them?   
  
Yue snickered, tilting her head to the side. "Vaatu, silly." Like that had been an obvious question.  
  
(It hadn't been obvious.)  
  
"Oh, uhh..." Zuko considered exactly how to answer that; sure, there were options like saying nice things, flattering things, stuff... they'd be true and probably the honorable things to say. However, those were all embarrassing and not the kinda shit he'd say aloud. To people. "He's nosy, super opinionated about basically everything... monologs a lot, about particular topics." He said, instead of anything flattering; giving her a far-too-toothy, amused, grin, "He's pretty helpful, I guess. Knows a lot about basically everything but won't tell me exactly how... it's kinda, uhh, unsettling sometimes." Zuko added, just in case the Vaatu in question was considering 'how to murder one's vessel'.  
  
(Vaatu was, indeed, questioning the ramifications for ending the life of this vessel and just starting over. Perhaps he wasn't feeling as 'attached' as he'd once presumed...)  
  
Yue laughed, her head tilting back in amusement before leveling Zuko with a clever little smirk, "The spirits do enjoy being... equivocal, don’t they."  
  
"That bears repeating." Lu Ten huffed, figuring that was nicer than telling how he really felt about.  
  
"Oh?" Yue raised her eyebrows, curious and hoping she'd be indulged; certainly, the spirits were... peculiar, in their mannerisms, but she enjoyed them despite their quirkiness.  
  
"I've had the... pleasure, of speaking to Agni. A few times actually."  
  
"Ah." Yue nodded but still gave an interested, encouraging look, hoping for more of an elaboration; she wanted to know more about her spirits brother, after all Agni had spoke in support of her to Vaatu! How could she not be inquisitive about the sun spirit?  
  
Lu Ten sighed, leaning back on his arms. "He's a cheeky dick, vague as all get out, and definitely condescending."  
  
"Probably because you cussed at him." Zuko quipped.  
  
Yue's eyes widened, trying to hold back laughter. "You... you cussed out a spirit? No, no, you cussed out YOUR guiding spirit?"  
  
"I didn't cuss him out, exactly—" Lu Ten scoffed, leaning forward and crossing his arms defensively, "— Just, you know, in general. I was having a bad day, alright, and I didn't know it was Agni! He didn't have to be a dick about it."  
  
"He wasn't that bad when I met him." Zuko countered, with a snarky look on his face.  
  
Lu Ten glared at him, "Yeah well you were thirteen and dying Zuko, of course he was going to be nice to you."  
  
"Wait—" Yue choked out, sliding off the edge of the bed to sit closer to them on the floor; eyes wide. "— Thirteen? How… how long ago was that?" Thirteen and dying, offered… so casually? Surely the Avatar must be far older than he appeared…  
  
“About… two years ago?”   
  
“Oh.” Yue nodded thoughtfully, that… that made sense as to why Tui had come to her so suddenly. That also meant they were both fifteen, which gave her some feeling of solidarity; like there was just one more thing they could bond over, as friends. “Tui first came to me two years ago, too. I was thirteen at the time, too—wait, wait, going back… you said you were dying?”  
  
Zuko stilled, absolutely under no circumstances wanting nor being ready to have this conversation (again); he'd never be ready, ever, despite it being the cornerstone of his existence at this point. "Umm, yeah. I— I, it was when—" he swallowed, glancing down at his lap while he waved a hand at the left side of his face, "—my, the Fire Lord. He did this, and I was dying. Agni, he umm, he brought me to the spirit world then took me to Vaatu. That's how everything happened."  
  
Yue sat very still, frowning and holding herself back from the kneejerk reaction of apologizing; she knew it wasn't her fault, knew it wouldn't change anything, and knew it wouldn't offer any form of comfort. A feeble 'I'm so sorry' was an empty gesture that meant nothing; she could do better than that.   
  
"That's terrible, and I hate knowing you had to endure so much pain to... to, but I understand. Not, not the painful part, but the rest." Yue leaned forward some to put a hesitant hand on Zuko's shoulder, hoping it came across as comforting (she wasn't well versed in offering casual comfort; she'd never had to do anything other than bow and offer her condolences, anything else was considered improper). "When I was born I was barely alive, cold and unmoving and barely breathing. My mother, she took me to our oasis and begged the spirits to save me." She waved her free hand vaguely around her hair before dropping both hands into her lap, "Tui saved me by giving a part of herself to me, that's why my hair's white, and why my people treat me like I'm made of glass." She said, in a quiet voice.  
  
Zuko frowned, scrunching his nose with a sharp frown. "Shouldn't they treat you like your impervious?"  
  
Yue blinked, surprised by the question. "Huh?"  
  
"I just mean..." Zuko waved his hands to gesture at nothing in particular, "I mean if you're blessed by a spirit, and spirits are powerful then why not treat you like it?"  
  
"Ah." Yue grimaced, averting eye contact to instead stare at Druk; who was stretched out like an arctic cat-weasel in front of the fireplace. "Well partially because they fear if I'm hurt it'll effect Tui, or maybe enrage her. Partially because, well... I—I'm a girl."  
  
Both Zuko and Lu Ten watched at her like she'd grown a second head. "What?" Yue questioned, giving them a glower.  
  
"I'm sorry, it’s just—" Lu Ten shook his head, frowning. "—What does you being a girl have to do with anything?"  
  
Yue blinked, bouncing her eyes from one to the other looking for a sign of deceit yet finding nothing but sheer perplexity on their faces; she didn’t really know what to do with this. "What do... what?"  
  
"Are—does that... matter, here?" Zuko questioned, hesitantly; surely that couldn't be the case, right? Was this just some sort of misunderstanding, were they not really understanding what she meant?  
  
"Umm..." Yue fidgeted, fingers playing with the fur on the edge of her anorak nervously, "Yes?"  
  
That earned another round of indignant gawking from both firebenders; Yue gaped right back at them.  
  
"But... how— why?" Zuko barked, offended and enraged by the very notion. "What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"That's just, I guess… the way things are here." Yue offered with a listless shrug, her eyes snapping back to her lap. "Women aren't allowed to do, well... much of anything."  
  
Lu Ten gave her a sympathetic look but couldn't hold back his frown. "Seriously?"  
  
Yue nodded, still refusing to make eye contact as she curled her knees up and slung her arms around herself, "No woman is allowed on council, or to live alone, or to learn weaponry. We can't even learn offensive bending, only healing."  
  
"What..." Zuko choked out, dumbfounded.  
  
"Yeah, I... when, well I guess I should back up." Yue said with a sigh, leaning back against the side of the bed, "Even though Tui saved me as a baby, I wasn't born a bender. It wasn't until two years ago—" she glanced at Zuko, eyes flickering to the scar across his face before averting her eyes, "—It must have been when you were—were, umm, dying. I was also thirteen, I don’t think that matters but, I mean— anyways. Tui, she pulled me to the spirit world and spoke of a shift in destiny and—and she had La bless me with waterbending. I told my father and while he was proud, I still wasn't allowed to partake in formal waterbending training. I did master water healing with training, but I've been sneaking out nightly for almost two years to learn with La."  
  
Lu Ten simply blinked at her, at a loss for not only words but thoughts as well; outside of 'what the fuck' which, really, wasn't all that helpful to offer.  
  
Zuko opened his mouth, narrowing his eyes, then shut it; unlike his cousin, he had thoughts. Many thoughts, many opinions, all of them creatively vulgar but he kept those to himself because... because that was how things were, here. It didn't sit right with him; it was extremely misogynistic, and strategically stupid to limit your benders to types of training based off something stupid as gender, but... but it wasn't his place to judge someone's traditions. Even if he, vehemently, didn’t agree.  
  
(Because his nation had spent so long eradicating other peoples and their traditions so who was he to say anything about it, right?)  
  
"It's ridiculous, I know. You can say it." Yue mumbled, chewing on her bottom lip while peeking a glance between the two. She was, honestly, taken aback by their ability to hold their tongues despite the obvious ire in their expressions; it was obvious nether wanted to offend her, which was endearing but misplaced. For so long she’d wanted someone with a—a male, to defend her right of equality. How sad it was to come from firebenders opposed to her own people.  
  
"Ridiculous is an understatement." Lu Ten grumbled.  
  
"I can't—I just..." Zuko started, then cut himself off with a raspy laugh and a shake of his head, "I can't imagine anyone telling Azula she couldn't train because she was a girl. Or even her friends..."  
  
"Oh yeah, I didn't know them very well but one had knives, right?" Lu Ten smirked, knowing damn well telling Azula 'no' was a quick and very painful deathwish; best he remembered, her two friends were equally horrifying in their own unique ways.  
  
"Azula?" Yue questioned, her eyebrows raised, "And, knives? She was, she used knives?"  
  
"Azula is my sister, a fearsome prodigy when it comes to firebending." Zuko explained, choosing to downplay the sheer everything that was his sister (hopefully the omission never mattered), "One of her friends, Mai, she’s the one with a mastery of knives and she's… well, she earned that rank by age nine. Another friend of my sister’s is Ty Lee, who's a contortionist... and she can chi-block."  
  
"Chi-block..." Yue repeated.  
  
Zuko nodded. "Yeah, she knows exactly where to apply pressure to either block bending via chi paths or to flat out cause loss of limb mobility. She's also ridiculously happy and friendly too, which makes it really... unnerving."  
  
"They sound..." Yue started with an awkward look on her face while she tried to grasp for words, giving up with a wince, "Terrifying."  
  
"That's an understatement." Zuko shook his head, trying to not think too hard about his scary sister and her equally scary friends, "Anyways, I guess my point is... like, girls can fight and be a force to reckon with and I don't understand why—why it's like that, here."  
  
Yue half shrugged, frowning. "Because that's the way it is and no one questions it. I mean I have—questioned it that is, but I was told it's none of my business and to drop it. So I did, until... well, now, I guess." She perked up at that, offering her friends a grin, "I'm really excited to leave and travel and, and—and to know when I do return if things don't change I can, and will, turn around and leave again."  
  
Zuko returned her grin, glad for her... really all the women of the Northern Water Tribe, that maybe one day things will change. Or might change. Hopefully. "So, tell me more about healing?"  
  
"Sorry, boys aren't allowed to learn healing." Yue offered with a sniff, tight lipped to try and conceal her amusement.  
  
Zuko gawked at her, sputtering out a handful of unintelligible words before realizing she was messing with him and glared at her.   
  
"Boy or not, I have to agree healing is definitely something Zuko needs to learn to do." Lu Ten said with a straight face, ignoring the heated glare he got for it to instead look at Yue, "You have no idea, yet anyways, how self-destructive this guy really is."  
  
"I am not—"  
  
"You are," Lu Ten gave him an exasperated stare, "I've watched you plummet into the water off the side of a naval ship, take running leaps from the tops of trees to see how high your little high cushion landings work, that one time Atletl goading you into a rooftop to rooftop race, and let's not talk about your tale of scaling a mountainside when you ditched your—"  
  
" Okay, okay," Zuko barked, throwing his hands up, "Whatever, anyways... healing."  
  
Yue smiled, mouth open with pure amusement; she couldn't wait to leave her home and experience all of this first hand, it sounded like so much fun. Dangerous, sure, but a fun dangerous. "I think we can make an exception to healing training, maybe my master will let us borrow a few scrolls too. But first you need a few days of actual waterbending training."  
  
"Great!" Zuko beamed, "When do we start?"  
  
"Well as much as I'd like to say immediately," Yue mused, pursuing her lips; she didn't want to waste a moment of the boost provided by being surrounded by water and ice, really, but considering the warm welcome they'd received... and the lack of urgency regarding guest rights... "Waterbending is strongest under the moon, and I am to assume today has been most... eventful, so tomorrow evening. We'll start tomorrow evening."  
  
Lu Ten couldn't help but grin at that, "Glad I'm not a waterbender, sounds like I'll actually be getting sleep at night while you're someone else's problem."  
  
"Ass." Zuko grumbled.  
  
"Uh huh," Lu Ten quipped, extending a leg to kick at his cousins crossed leg, "Be sure to make some coffee and you'll be fine."  
  
"Coffee?" Yue asked; apparently a good thing to question, considering the toothy grins she received.  
  
"Coffee. It's a super important part of Avatar training." Zuko stated, matter-of-factly; that wasn't a total lie, thus far it'd been more of a ritual than anything, but if he was going to rise with the sun AND train at night... it was going to BE important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I probably should address this cause it's ywt another thing I've tinkered with (opps but not really). So in canon I guess Tui & La just said no thank you to the spirit world and went into the bodies of mortal fish instead? I feel that's weird, like how can they be detached from spirit stuff but save Yue and become koizilla? Equally how could Tui save Yue but be incapable of saving herself from Zhao? Idk, anyways my vibe is they're usually just capable of taking their mortal koiforms and can't be in two places at once (ie: the spirit world and the human world). So like they're generally useless as the fish, hence Tui dragging Yue to the spirit world to talk to her, but can pull off spirity stuff (like Yue's mild possession) it just takes a lot of effort. 
> 
> ANYWAYS so that said, here we finally are y'all! The Northern Water Tribe! Yue! Y'all excited about that because I sure am! Lookit these dumbass royal teens, totally incapable of communication because really neither Zuko or Yue were shown to have their own friends in canon so my brain said they're both unsocialized dorks let's make it weird. So I did.
> 
> But really, Yue. She got royally (heh) screwed in canon so I'ma just give her everything and the kitchen sink. As she deserved.
> 
> Hopefully y'all enjoyed this one, and it was worth the wait and all that good stuff!

**Author's Note:**

> So since it's that *~festive~* time of year (and because 2020 has been a whole ass decade) I'ma drop this with two chapters. Assuming I figure out how to do that.


End file.
